Past, Present, & Future
by BoobsMcGee92
Summary: OotP/AU/M "...some insane woman decided that her poor daughter needs to scrub this pit floor to ceiling twice daily, which is a bit unfortunate, seeing as the cleaning was the only thing what was keeping me sane..." Prologue-Chapter Four Updated! GW/SB
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER**: I own nothing! Nada, zip, zilch! Everything Harry Potter belongs to Missus J. K. Rowling. If it were mine, then I would own my house .

**A/N**: The following takes during OotP. Slightly AU, because I refuse to accept that Sirius Black was killed by the drapes. More AU, because of all of the past, present, and future characters. It started as a one-shot, I swear. But well, when wheels in my head start churning, they're pretty darn hard to stop.

* * *

**Past, Present & Future**

**Prologue**

THE NIGHT AIR was warm, and there was a moist weight to it, which gave Ginny the sensation of walking through a living wall. It was late June, and the chirping of crickets composed the sound track of the evening. She stood slightly to one side of her family, removing herself from their chaos; she had become quite good at this. Their constant noise, which she generally loved, sometimes wore thin on her nerves. Her father and mother stood at the beginning of a sidewalk, which appeared to lead right up to the wall of the massive housing complex in front of them. They were talking in hushed tones to one another; Molly held a white-knuckled death-grip on the back of Arthur's robes. Ginny studied her parents - - who were clearly waiting for something - - for a moment, before turning her attention to the half of her brothers that had made this trip into London. Fred, George, and Ron were the last of her brothers' still living at the Burrow, which was why there were here. The previous night, her father had called for everyone's attention after dinner. He had told them that they were no longer safe at their home, not since last summer, when Voldemort had finally come back into power. Her brothers had not reacted well to being told that they had to flee from their home; the Burrow was considered a safe-haven to the Weasley children. If it was not safe, then where in the bloody hell was?

Ginny rolled her eyes, a small smile playing across her lips, as she watched her twin brothers talk Ron into trying their newest concoction, a Canary Crème. Instantly, the lanky red haired teen transformed into a large, squawking yellow bird. This of course attracted their mother's attention - - which was never a good thing, in this type of situation. Ginny shook her head, watching as her mother changed Ron back - -

"Really Ronald, you would _think_ that by this point in time, you could sense one of your brother's pranks from a mile away. But _no_! Merlin's beard, no! Can't the three of you behave for just a _moment_? You're antics are wearing terribly thin on your poor old mother's heart, you know!"

- - and swatted them all 'round the back of their heads. As her mother went to stand back at her place her father's side, a small sound caught Ginny's attention. She stood on tip-toes to look over her mother's shoulder, and saw that a small bit of parchment had appeared in her father's hand. _Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London. Headquarters of the Order of the phoenix_, the paper said. The writing was an elegant, rich scrawl, which she recognized immediately, but was unable to place. Another noise, and suddenly the building before the family began moving. Out and out, up and up; the apartments had split clear down their middle, and where there had previously been nothing but a wall, there now stood a dark and regal house. It seemed to shudder, as the transformation ended. Ginny's eyes followed its surface all the way up - - the Victorian style house was at least three stories, probably even more, judging by the smaller rows of slender windows near the ground and roof. Due to the late hour of the night, it was impossible to tell exactly what color Grimmauld Place was, but to Ginny's eye it looked like a deep, murky green. She glanced nervously at her mother, and saw that the woman's eyes were wide. Whether it be from fear or surprise, her daughter wasn't sure.

"Mum, where are we…?" The older woman shook her head, finally out of her slight daze. "Not now dear, it isn't safe out here." As she spoke, Arthur walked up to the stoop, and lifted the large knocker. A moment later, the door swung open, and the unmistakable face of Sirius Black appeared. Ginny's eyes widened, as she looked at her brothers. The twins looked shocked, and vaguely ill, but Ron's face was strangely blank. _Odd_, Ginny thought, _Ron is not surprised_. Her eyes traveled back up to the man's face, and with a jolt she realized that he was looking straight at her. She watched, as her parents both entered the house. The man remained where he was standing, still holding the door open. Ron seemed to realize this at the same time as she did, because they walked to the door simultaneously. They stood on the step for an awkward moment, each refusing to let the other go in before them. Ginny, who had always excelled at playing dirty, finally won. A swift kick aimed at her slightly older brother's shin, and she was walking through the still-open door. She smiled politely at the dark haired man as she passed him, and he returned it with an amused grin. _Strange_, was Ginny's confused thought, _he doesn't really look like the mass-murdering type_.

xxXxx

THREE WEEKS HAD passed, since the Weasley's had first come to reside at Grimmauld Place. The house, which was intimidating on the outside, was positively frightening on the inside. Angry portraits, coupled with beheaded house elf's, ornamented the many dark walls of what Ginny had come to learn was the Ancient, and Most Noble House of Black. The cherry floors, which she had spent the first week alone scrubbing on hands and knees, were stained with a dark and shiny varnish, giving the appearance of walking on blood - - when they were clean, of course. The house was indeed three stories, boasting also of a double basement - -

"Completely untouchable," Sirius had warned her and her mischievous twin brothers. "Once, when I was younger than any of you - -"

"Even Gin Bug?" Fred interrupted, with a mocking grin. "Gin's a baby, mate! There's no way anyone was ever as young as she!"

"Quite right, brother dear! Gin-Gin's the smallest of the small; no one has ever been smaller!"

"You're both git's, do'ya know that? Utterly pathetic, gits!" Ginny felt her face flush, to her complete mortification. She glanced at Sirius, and saw that he wore a strange expression on his face.

- - located beneath the already basement kitchen, and also an attic, which apparently housed the AWOL Hippogriff that had been sentenced to death during her second year, Buckbeak. Since coming to the house, Ginny had become a constant recruit for her mother's cleaning madness. During the past few weeks, she had scrubbed, mopped, waxed, washed, and de-loused every inch of the massive house, most of it twice over. But clean was never really clean enough for Molly Weasley, and there was always another Boggart in another closet that needed removed, or else more dishes in the sink to be washed. In retrospect, the entire situation reminded Ginny of a muggle story that Hermione had once told her about, _Cinderella_. Except this was not a muggle fairytale, because no one at the Order Headquarters were muggles. Also, Ginny did not have an evil stepmother, only an obsessively clean legitimate one. So she worked, and scrubbed, and cooked, and cleaned; days had begun to drag on forever, and her fourth year felt like a lifetime away.

xxXxx

"Pass the butter, please."

Ginny grabbed the glass dish next to her, and passed it to Sirius. He sat next to her, at the head of the table. It was Friday night; the house was eerily quiet. Her mother and father were off doing classified business for the Order, which left her and Sirius alone. Aside for her brothers, of course.

"George! Knock it off, will ya?" Ron scowled at the offending sibling, who had charmed his dinner plate to catapult peas at Ron's face.

"Knock what off brother? T'was Fred who was doing the launching, mate." George grinned, and gestured to his twin. The other boy pulled an innocent face, and tried to act uninterested.

"I am the innocent one here George old boy, admit it!"

Ron continued to fall victim to the twin's pranks, until Sirius finally suggested that the three go check on the Hippogriff in the attic. As he said this, the three red haired boys gaped at him as though he were insane.

"What? Beakey bloody well needs to eat too, ya know."

"But that's ickle little Ginny's job!"

Sirius looked from the indignant Ron, to the girl sitting next to him. Ginny frowned at her brother, and crossed her arms beneath her chest. Ron squirmed, as he felt her level her gaze on him.

"Ronald, go feed the damned Hippogriff, before I shove my dinner plate so far up your arse that you'll be tasting broiled chicken until you're of age."

The boy's eyes widened; behind him, their brothers were threatening to fall over from laughter. Sirius's last drink off of his bottle of Firewhisky had apparently gotten lodged in his throat; he coughed, hiding a wide smile behind his napkin.

"C'mon ickle Rinnikins; there's a hungry bird waiting for ya somewhere above."

The twins each laced an arm through one of their younger brother's, as they began leading the now sputtering boy out of the kitchen. Ginny and Sirius both laughed, as the twins forcefully led Ron out of the kitchen. As they finally hauled him through the doorway, Fred popped his head back around the corner,

"Oh, and mates, as far as anyone is concerned, Gorge and I are helping ickle Ronnie out in the attic."

"Yes," George called from somewhere on the stairs. "Attic...not in our room, testing out new Weasley products."

"Agreed?" Fred raised eyebrows at his sister, and the man sitting next to her. They both nodded, and he turned with a triumphant smile on his face, and left the room.

After a moment, Ginny's laughter died, and Sirius's chuckle turned dry in his throat. Silence stretched between them, and Ginny was suddenly aware of herself. The only noise in the room was forks scraping against plates, and the occasional dull 'thunk' oof a water glass being set back down on the table. Finally, the silence seemed to get to Sirius; Ginny really wouldn't have minded it herself, if only it hadn't been such an awkward silence.

"So Gin - - it's all right if I call you that, isn't it? I diddn't mean to be presumptions, er, I've just heard your brothers calling - -"

"You're fine Sirius; most people call me Gin. It, uh, it works."

The man sitting next to her smiled, and continued.

"Right then. So you're going to be a fourth-year this year, aren't you?"

Ginny nodded, and fought the urge to fidget. She wasn't used to adults not ignoring her; usually she just seemed to blend in to the walls to them. She liked Sirius's attention though; once the initial shock of learning that he wasn't a mass murder had eased up, she came to realize that the man was a really intriguing person.

"Then you're fourteen?"

She nodded again, and took a sip off of her glass off water. The dark haired man seemed to be contemplating her answer; he was studying a spot of peeling plaster near the doorway. While he was examining the wall, Ginny studied him. His hair was still very dark - - by her calculations, he was somewhere around thirty-eight - - it hung in a wild mass down his shoulders, the ends reaching near the middle of his back. His eyes were a smoky grey, made all the more striking in a face of high cheekbones and long dark lashes. He had a strong jaw, accenting a full mouth and slightly cleft chin. His robes hung on him a bit; Ginny could tell immediately that he was wearing someone else's robes. She herself had very few wizarding robes that fit her well; hers were all hand-me-downs from her brothers. It was hard to tell past the robes, but it seemed like Sirius was a bit underweight, although still fairly muscular. Tattoos peaked past thee hems off his robes; they dotted across the backs of his hands, and splayed across his chest where it gaped open at the neck. Sirius was old enough to be her father, but that didn't stop Ginny from noticing that he was an extremely handsome man.

Her eyes traveled back up to his face, and with a pang, Ginny realized that Sirius was staring at her intently. Instantly, she dropped her eyes, and felt her cheeks burn. She had been caught staring; she only hoped that her thoughts had not been written as clearly on her face as they had been in her mind. Quickly, she threw her napkin onto her plate, and began clearing the table. As she stacked dishes into the sink, she realized that Sirius had stood as well and was attempting a cleaning charm on the table. She turned, and took a towel to the table instead.

"It's fine Sirius," she said, not bothering to look up. "I can clean up in here myself."

"Oh." He hovered at the head of the table, uncertainly for a moment. Ginny finished cleaning the table, and moved to the sink to start on the dishes. She focused on the task in front of her, now angry at herself for making herself look silly. She didn't notice when Sirius sat back down at the table, and started when she finally finished banging the dishes around and turned.

"Shite, I didn't realize that you were still in here. Nearly gave me a bloody heart-attack."

Sirius looked up from the bottle he held in his hand on the table, and smiled mirthlessly at her.

"Sorry 'bout that, luv. There really isn't much to do here, you see. Some insane woman decided that her poor daughter needs to scrub this pit floor to ceiling twice daily, which is a bit unfortunate, seeing as the cleaning was the only thing what was keeping me sane."

He took a drink from the bottle of whiskey.

"Sane-ish, and least."

Ginny smiled, and sat back down at the seat she had previously occupied next to him. She looked at the bottle in front of Sirius at the table for a moment, before leaning forward and snatching the bottle out of his hand. He sat in a surprised silence, as he watched Ginny take three large swallows of the liquor. Proud of herself for not even pulling a face at the foulness of the drink, she leaned forward again - - feeling considerably warmer - - and placed it back into Sirius's still outstretched hand. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a swallow, before capping it and setting it between them on the table.

"Does your mother know that you can drink like that?"

Ginny grinned sheepishly, and shook her head at the man.

"I have six brothers Sirius, do'ya really think that I've never drank whiskey before?"

"Obviously I shouldn't have. Then again, when I was fourteen, I wasn't exactly a stranger to the stuff either."

Ginny smiled, and looked at him. The man had a faraway look on his face, and a hunted look in his eyes. Suddenly, she wanted to know what was going on in his mind.

"Sirius?"

He looked up, vaguely startled. His thoughts seemed to have trapped him for a moment.

"Yeah?"

"What were you like wheen you were my age?"

He laughed a sudden, bark-like laugh that was free of any actual humor.

"That isn't a very interesting story, luv."

She reached for the bottle again, and gave him a sidelong look. She took another swig of the hot liquid, and handed the bottle to him. Her parents wouldn't be home again until very early the next morning. She had enough time to be herself - - her real self - - with this virtual stranger, for a few hours.

"Tell me anyway."

xxXxx

WEEKS PASSED AND Grimmauld Place became a hive of activity. Hermione was the first summer guest to arrive, Harry being the second. In addition to the new guests, Order members began flocking to their headquarters; as the summer progressed, Voldemort's attacks had become bolder, and also more frequent. Meetings had gone from being held bi-weekly to twice a week, with mandatory attendance. These meetings were of course off limits to the younger members of the household, but Ginny had managed to find a way around that particular rule.

"C'mon Sirius, please! I know that you don't agree with us being kept in the dark anymore than we do!"

"True as that may be luv, you know that your mother would have my skin if anyone caught me doing this!"

"Oh right, because suddenly you care what my mother thinks. It s'not like you've been contributing to her daughter's vaguely alcoholic tendencies all summer, or any sort of rubbish like that..."

"Well, if that isn't the biggest load of absolute shite I've ever heard! You've been the one getting herself drunk these past weeks, not me. I've just been too busy enjoying your delightful company to be in the right mind to stop you."

Ginny looked at the man across from her, before throwing her head back with an abrupt laugh.

"R-ight. Because, obviously, my powers of persuasion are too great for you too resist. Which is, of course, why we're sitting here now - - doing this; me trying to use said powers on you, while you blatantly resist."

Silence, while the ever-present bottle of Firewhiskey was opened, and they passed it between them for a moment. This had become their secrete routine over the summer, since that first night. After everyone else in the house had already gone to bed, Ginny - - who never really slept anymore, not since Tom Riddle - - would sneak down to the soundproof basement kitchen. She always found Sirius already there; she liked to believe that he was waiting for her, but really, it could have just been insomnia. Through these late-night encounters, they had become very good friends; Ginny was surprised to realize one night that she had come to care for Sirius more than anyone else. This thought had caused her, already sleepless nights, to drag on even longer.

Now she looked at the man across from her with hooded eyelids, trying to laugh with him, and not let her face betray the depth of emotion that her mind was swimming in. Sometimes, she felt like a fool; she was only fourteen, for Merlin's sake! There was no way that someone like Sirius could possible feel anything for her aside from friendly feelings; she just needed to keep her thought to herself, and her feelings close to her heart. It was already the middle of August, and she would be starting her fourth year soon. She was far too young, for Sirius Black to see her for anything more than the awkward young girl that she was.

"Hey, Gin?"

She shook her head, and looked at the man sitting in front of her. He had been talking to her, but she hadn't heard a single word that he had said. The dark haired man looked at her strangly for a moment, before running a hand along the shadow on his chin, and continuing.

"I just said that I'll do it. Give me the Extendable Ears, and I'll pocket them before tomorrow night's meeting."

Ginny, who had been taking in a gulp of the whiskey, swallowed harshly, and squealed in delight. Still squealing, she leapt forward in her seat and pulled the man across from her into a crushing hug. He froze for a moment, before returning the hug doubly. They stayed like that for a moment, before Ginny finally pulled back enough so that her face was only inches from his. Too many thoughts were racing through her mind, and she was having trouble focusing on anything other than how good he smelled, and how soft his lips looked.

"Ginny..."

"Sirius..."

"We..."

"Can't...?"

"Shouldn't..."

Another lifetime passed between them, before their lips finally met somewhere in the middle. Was Ginny the one that moved? Or did Sirius finally close the distance between them? Neither knew for certain, and neither seemed to particularly care. Time slowed down, and sped up all at once. Hands and lips crashed against bodies, and suddenly Ginny was seated on Sirius's lap. When it was finally over, and Ginny stood - - with the help of Sirius's large hands on her hips - - neither one of them could look at each other. Wordlessly, Ginny left the darkened kitchen. She made the walk up to the room that she and Hermione shared on the third floor silently; she had traveled past the old portraits and squeaky stairs so many times that avoiding the louder obstacles had become a second-nature act. As she closed the heavy door behind her, she slid down it and sat, with her knees curled against her chest. Seconds ticked by with no sounds other than Hermione's very un-ladylike snoring, and her own ragged breathing could be heard in the room. Eventually, Ginny heard the sounds of someone coming up the stairs. She quieted her breathing, strained her ears, and listened hard. Heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway, before they stopped outside the door that she was leaning against. The person lingered there for a moment, before Ginny heard a sigh - - his sigh, it was defiantly Sirius outside the door - - and he left, traveling two doors down the hall to his own room, at the end. Ginny continued to listen, waiting for some sort of indication as to the man's feelings, but it was to no avail. The house - - and the room - - were silent once more, and the red haired girl finally allowed the tears that had been brimming in her eyes for the past half hour to flow. She wasn't sure what had happened between her and Sirius that night, but she knew that things between them had defiantly changed.

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**A/N**: First chapter, done! How do we like it? There just aren't nearly enough Sirius/Ginny fics around, are there? Next chapter, past meets present.


	2. Chapter One

******DISCLAIMER**: All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing her plot.

******A****/********N**: THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED!

_Chapter One: Some Kind Of Prophecy_

"_Do you wanna come with me? 'Cause if you do then I should warn you, you're gonna see all sorts of things."_

_-The 9th Doctor, Doctor Who_

**xxXxxXxxXxx**

___When the year of the Dark Lord comes,_

___And evil threatens to swallow the light- -_

___The first daughter of the first daughter_

___Will be the only hope..._

___If SHE cannot save the Betrayed Dog_

___From going Beyond - -_

___Then the Chosen One will fall_

___And the Dark Lord will be forever..._

___Fire must cast away shadows,_

___And make the dog-star bright once again..._

___Powers will merge once Fate has been_

___Denied - -_

___Only then can the light prevail_

___And end the reign of the Dark Lord..._

"WHAT THE BLOODY hell was that?"

Sirius Black stood in the far corner of Dumbledore's office, slightly removed from his two best friends. He was nearest to the east wall, which was covered floor to ceiling with portraits of Hogwarts's previous headmaster. As the ghostlike voice had boomed out of the crystal orb and through the large room, Sirius had scanned across the various painted faces. Finally, he located the familiar face of his estranged grandfather glaring down at him. Sirius returned the man's look with one of his own. He spoke in general to the room, but his question was directed at the ancient wizard sitting behind the oak desk in the center of the room. Breaking the glare that he held on his grandfather, Phineas Nigellus Black, in the portrait above him, Sirius turned his back to the dead man and looked at the Headmaster with raised eyebrows. The wizened old man sighed, and ran a hand along his chest-length white beard.

"That, my dear boy, was a prophecy." Sirius's dark brows knit together.

"A prophecy?" He repeated, in a skeptical tone.

"Correct." James Potter, who was seated in one of the leather wing-back chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk, spoke next.

"Sir, aren't prophecies extremely rare?" Both his voice and face clearly expressed his confusion.

"Rare, indeed. This is the first prophecy that I am aware of existing in nearly two hundred years."

"Sir, I thought that all prophecies had to be reported to the ministry." This came from the always logically thinking, Remus Lupin, who sat in the chair next to James. As Sirius looked towards him, he saw that his friend wore the same expression on his face that he often got when figuring out the answer to an especially hard essay question.

"That is the usual protocol in this type of situation, I think. Yes." The Headmaster's eyes were dark as he said this. Sirius was surprised by the grim look on the old man's usually cheerful face.

"Headmaster, sir, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get this...this prophecy thing? If they're so extremely rare, I mean." Curiosity laced his voice, as James looked at their headmaster through his eyeglasses. Sirius and Remus's gazes also turned to the old wizard, who sighed under the weight of their united scrutiny.

"Yesterday, a young witch - who I personally promised, would remain nameless - came into my office and sat in that," he gestured at the chair that James was currently occupying, "exact chair. I was surprised by her unannounced visit...she just isn't the type that usually comes in here...anyhow, she began speaking to me about strange dreams that she had been having recently. Dreams that seemed, for all intents and purpose, to tell of the future. I was surprised at this information...I just never would have imagined...no, better not to say. The things that this young witch told me were quite surprising. Nothing surprised me more, though, than when the she fell into a state of trance." As he spoke, Dumbledore had a faraway look in his eyes, and his jaw was set tight. It seemed as though the things that he was remembering were less than pleasant. Sirius wondered briefly what the mysterious young witch could have said to the wizard to have affected him so strongly.

"But sir, what does this all mean? And why did you call the three of us in here?" Remus's face was troubled as he said this. He glanced next to him at James, and then behind him to Sirius. Their faces all conveyed their agreement that none of them understood where they fit into the prophecy. Dumbledore's hands clasped together atop the sleek desk's face, before he threw his arms wide, gesturing to the three boys in a single gesture.

"This prophecy affects all of you in ways. However, it affects one of you _very _directly." His eyes landed with intended obviousness on Sirius. His eyes widened as his two best friends turned in their seats to stare at him. Sirius's mouth opened into a small 'O' of understanding, as the prophecy replayed itself over in his mind.

___If SHE cannot save the Betrayed Dog..._

___...make the dog-star bright once again..._

"Merlin's balls, are you telling me that you called us in here because you think that this prophecy is about me?"

Dumbledore didn't seem to notice the handsome young man's language. If he did, he at least didn't care. His eyes locked with the boy's across the room from him. Remus and James seemed to be frozen. They both had expressions of complete shock painted across their faces; Remus had a hand thrown up to his mouth, and James looked a bit green. Sirius met Dumbledore's gaze unwaveringly. He was beginning to understand.

_All of the unexplained disappearances...the 'random' deaths...the mysterious revolt within the Ministry that they had heard Slughorn talking to Madam Prince about..._

"This is what has been happening...isn't it Dumbledore? All of the wonky things that have been happening this past year...It's all been this Dark Lord bloke, hasn't it?"

Remus and James's shocked expressions had quickly turned to understanding. Their eyes also turned to their Headmaster.

"Yes, Sirius. You are entirely correct."

Sirius nodded rapidly, as his two friends made small sounds.

"And this prophecy...this first daughter business...it's about me, then? I'm the 'Betrayed Dog', aren't it?"

It was now the Headmaster's turn to nod, his eyes were heavy with some emotion...sympathy or pity, Sirius wasn't sure which.

"You've known all along, then."

Sirius had moved across the room, to sink down into a large fluffy chair set to the right of the Headmaster's desk. He could now see the faces of his friends. James obviously had no clue what he was referring to, but Remus's eyes were so wide that it seemed like they should pop right out of his skull. He knew. Remus knew that Dumbledore knew. Sirius turned his eyes back to the headmaster. This whole encounter was beginning to make him feel like he was witnessing a Quidditch match. There was so much back and forth in this conversation, but it felt more like he was actually the quaffle. As his eyes scanned across the ancient wizard's face, he nodded once, slowly.

"How long have you known, then?"

The Headmaster smiled. For a moment, his face lit up, before turning grim once more.

"My dear boy, I pride myself in knowing what is going on at Hogwarts at all times. You three...four, really...have managed to keep this extremely dangerous secret to yourselves for nearly three years. Now that we're all in on the secret, officially, I have to confess: I've always been terribly impressed by you three."

"_You're_ impressed by ___us_?" Remus's voice was thick with emotion. Sirius's eyes flew to his best friend's face. It was clear to him that James was terrified that they were about to be reported.

"Mate, if he had called us here to report us, he wouldn't have bothered telling us about this prophecy business. Right, Dumbledore?" James had apparently been thinking along identical lines as Sirius. It was quite strange how the friends had always shared an almost psychic connection. He caught his best mate's eyes, and smiled. James grinned his trademark grin in return.

"Quite right my boys. Animagi transformations are very dangerous. But you've all already done it. Therefore, in my mind there is no reason for harsh words on the subject. However," his eyes scanned the faces of the three students in for of him. The silence was loaded, and became nearly unbearable to Sirius. He hated silence; he got quite enough of it at home. "However, although I have not called you in here to report, belittle, or otherwise punish you...I do need to ask a very large favor of you boys. The future is in quite a lot of danger, and time is becoming precious."

The boys shared a look as their Headmaster finished speaking. They decided without words. This was Dumbledore asking for their help. Moreover, Sirius was in danger, or something. He was apparently going to be betrayed by someone, at the very least.

"What is it, sir?" Remus's face was dead serious, no hesitation in his voice.

"Yeah Dumbledore, we're ready. Anything to help you, and help our best mate here." James's eyes slid over to Sirius, who would have teared up at the worried look on his friend's face...if he were a lesser man, that is. Sirius never cried, because men didn't cry. Or at least, Black's didn't. He would be chopped up, and fed to dragons if his father ever caught even mist in his eldest son's eyes.

"Wait, sir. Did you just say the future?" Sirius's eyebrows shot to his hairline. He couldn't have heard the man right. Dumbledore smiled at his expression.

"Indeed. I have called the three of you here, because you are the only ones that I trust with this mission. In my desk drawer, I have an unregistered time-turner. Sixteen turns, should take you to the year, 1999. This is when the young seer told me you will be needed."

They processed that information for a moment, as Dumbledore leveled them all with an appraising look.

"What are we supposed to accomplish there, sir?" Remus's face was set in a determined expression.

"You're goal is to find the first daughter, of the first daughter. She should be at Hogwarts somewhere, although I have no idea whether you will find her as student, or as staff member. Once you have found her, you need to do whatever you can to help her in saving you, Sirius."

"Can we tell anyone who we are?" James's face had taken on an excited expression, making Sirius smile a bit. Adventure was what James Potter lived for. Dumbledore seemed to contemplate the question for a moment before answering.

"Before you leave, I plan on changing your appearances, as well as your names. I would prefer that you tell no one who you are, where you are from, or what your intentions are. But really, when have any of you followed the rules before?" Dumbledore laughed as he said this, making Remus blush, James smile sheepishly, and Sirius join in with his own bark-like laughter. "So I will no forbid you from speaking your secrets to anyone. Just please, use the utmost caution when deciphering who can be trusted. Oh, also, I have a letter here for, well - myself. How strange, the ocean of time truly is."

Less than a half-hour later, the three best friends were spinning the small golden hourglass sixteen times. In a flash of shimmering light, the three boys vanished.

**xxXxxXxxXxx**

**A/N**: Review, please!


	3. Chapter Two

******DISCLAIMER**: All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing her plot.

******A/N****: ****THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED!**

******WARNING**: There is a lemon at the end of this chapter. It involves sex with a minor. If this bothers any of my wonderful readers than I am really, really sorry.

rockrose: First of all, miss rockrose. Where to start? You, my dear, are AWESOME! My most loyal fan thus far...which is really, kinda funny coz this fic has just been up for like, a few days? Really though, you're the shit =) Also, I checked out your profile, and I am so impressed. 26 fic's? Makes me into a small, fry, eh?

Anyway, thank you for your support and I hope that you enjoy where this story goes!

DimFishLovesParamore: Well DimFish, you were totally right about the Ginny thing. Sorry if I got the year wrong (I knew that I would) their in Harry's fifth year. For this to work, it had to revolve around OotP, which makes Ginny a bit younger than I really wanted but it works. And don't worry, I quick as I can.

i luv hardy: Thanks!

lilabennet: I really don't have any kind of posting schedule. BUT, I just about always update once a week - - usually a few times.

lizzytish: Promise I'll finish it! Thanks.

harveygirl: Thank you =)

**_Chapter Two: Questions, Encounters, & Floo Calls_**

**"_...'cause this is his body_**

**_This is his love_**

**_Such selfish prayers and I can't get enough..."_**

**_-Florence & the Machine, Bedroom Hymns _**

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

"WELL MY DEAR boys, this letter really leaves very little cause for inquiries."

Once again, Sirius sat in Dumbledore's office, accompanied by his two best friends. They had appeared in the center of the room, in the exact spot that they had just disappeared from. The only noticeable difference was that the old man who they startled when appearing in the room, had aged quite a bit. Sirius had thought that he was ancient before. Now, it seemed like he would require a walker to get around. However, the alert expression and quick reaction to their sudden appearance proved otherwise.

"So what's the plan then, sir?" James Potter clasped his hands together, with an excited look on his face. Really, it reminded Sirius of how he looked when planning a new Quidditch tactic.

"Well, since I myself cannot think of any second generation first daughters, my guess is that you might well be here for awhile. For now, the plan will be for you all to be sorted into Gryffindor. As sixth-years, of course. I will request for the house elves to prepare uniforms for you, seeing as ours are a bit outdated at this point in time."

The boys glanced down at their attire. Their long black robes were plain, save for hoods and the crest of arms for their shared house, Gryffindor.

"Your story, as stated in the letter, will be that you are all adoptive brothers, and your muggle foster parents have been murdered by Voldemort. Since I (how strange to say!), in your time, have already taken the liberty of changing your appearances, all that we need are names. Since you are supposed to have been adopted by American born muggles, lets settle for the surname of Thompson. James," He looked to the boy, his bright eyes twinkling strangely. The expression was there and gone so quickly, that Sirius questioned whether or not it had ever truly existed. "You will be Jason Thompson. Remus, my dear boy, will be Robin Thompson. And Sirius," His eyes traveled to Sirius, with an expression on his face that held too much emotion. "You will be known as Sam Thompson. With all of your names starting with the same first letter as your real names, we can hope that you will remember them with ease."

"Now, I am sure that you boys have a few questions for me - -"

"'Course!"

"Sir - -"

"Please, sir - -!"

"Please, in a moment. First, I must warn you: I have instructed myself to Obliterate you before returning you back to your own time. With that in mind...questions, please?"

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

"So. I actually managed to marry Lily bleedin' Evans - -"

"And have a child - -"

"Harry, wasn't it - -?"

"And then I fuckin' DIED?"

"In all fairness, you didn't die. You were murdered." Remus, now Robin, said with grim finality.

"Right. Sure. Okay. Whatever...but flippin' Wormy...he sold us out. And framed Sirius?" James, or the boy formally known as James, ran a frustrated hand through his already messy hair.

"I'll kill the bloody little sod!"

"Lying little - -"

"The ingrate - -!"

"Come now boys! That's enough questions for today, I think."

Dumbledore stood, and motioned towards the door. The three boys who were all still in shock after learning just how grim their respective futures truly were, also stood. Just before passing through the doorway, the Headmaster halted them.

"Let's be off now. There are prophecies to translate, and classes to attend. Boys, I would just like to say how truly wonderful it is to see you all once again."

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

By the end of the day, news of Hogwarts' newest and only 'transfer' students had traveled like wildfire. After attending double potions with the Slytherin's, which had been...strange...

"I swear Snape knows! He was lookin' at you like you was a bloody ghost Padfoot!"

...and three consecutive hours of Transfiguration, which had seemed a bit too familiar...

"Minerva hasn't changed at all, has she? Still does the tight-lipped stern face at me and everything!"

...the boys still had not seen James's son, or come any closer to figuring out who the first daughter was.

Now, there were seated in the great hall, surrounded by their fellow Gryffindors. It seemed that everyone was eager to figure out what they were doing there, and to see who they were, exactly. Pretending that they were all brothers came naturally to them, since the three friends had always felt as if they were. And Dumbledore had been right. Having fake names that started with the same letter as their real ones did make remembering easier, at least slightly.

As they sat chatting and shoveling food into their mouths, something across the Hall caught Sirius's eye. Coming through the large archway were three students. They looked to be slightly younger than himself and his friends. It was a girl, and two boys. The girl was average height, with long bushy brown hair, and an annoyed look on her face. Her uniform was impeccable, if only a bit disheveled. Her white button-down top was done up all the way to her neck, and the black blazer she wore over it also had all buttons done. Her tie was in Gryffindor colors, and her shiny black shoes were flat and so bright that they nearly clashed with the stark white of her socks. Sirius (who had fairly high standards for his women) didn't find anything particularly striking about her. Really, just by looking at her, he pegged her as the book-type. The boy right behind her (who was clearly staring at her arse) had bright red hair, and too many freckles. Also, he was very tall. If Sirius, who was 6'1, stood toe-to-toe with him, there would only be a slight difference in height. The top two buttons of this boy's shirt were both undone, and his tie was untied and looped around his neck. His pants appeared to be a bit too big for him. Just glancing, they seemed to be hand-me-downs. Really, the thing that had caught Sirius's eye was the boy standing next to his red haired friend. It was James! It was so clearly James, that Sirius had to glance to his right and make sure that the real James - 'Jason' - was still there.

He was, and as Sirius turned back to the approaching trio, who were now nearly to the Gryffindor house table, he elbowed his best mate hard in the ribs.

"Ouch, you git! What the hell was that Padfo-...I mean, Sam? That bloody well hurt, you oaf!" Sirius ignored his friend's complainants, and leaned in to whisper, "Jamie, I think I just found your son, mate." James froze, and followed the direction of Sirius's gaze. By this point, the three students had arrived at the Gryffindor table and were taking seats directly in front of the 'new students'. Sirius quickly glanced at James, and saw that his eyes were wide with surprise. There was no questioning that the boy seated in front of them was Harry James Potter. He practically _was_ James, only with Lily's eyes.

"Hello! You three must be the new transfer students! I'm Hermione Granger!" The plain girl who'd been walking with Harry had noticed the three boys first. The Marauders glanced at each other before smiling warmly, and holding their hands out to the three students in front of them.

"Robin Thompson - -"

"Sam Thompson - -"

"Jason Thompson - -"

As 'Jason' held his hand out to Harry, Sirius noticed when his face tightened fractionally and his eye threatened to twitch. Obviously, the situation had just become very, very real to the boy. Glancing between the two, Sirius also noticed that a strange look had just come over Harry's face. Was it possible that he felt some sort of connection to his father? Could he know, somehow? Sirius shook his head, and spotted another strange thing. On the back of Harry's hand, which was stretched out in front of him on the table, was a long, wide scar. Studying it closer, while trying not to seem too obvious, Sirius realized that it wasn't any ordinary mark.

___I will not tell lies._

"Harry, mate! What the bloody hell happened to your hand?" Sirius could help the small gasp that had issued from his lips when he read what the scar told. Jason's eyes flew to the boys had resting on the table, and he too gasped.

"Harry, what the bugger is that?" Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Ron and Hermione both tried to look casual, but their ruse was weak. Remus (or Robin, actually) leaned forward and peered at the hand that Harry had clenched uncomfortably on the table. His eyebrows shot up, and he looked at Harry with disbelief in his eyes.

"It was an enchanted razor quill, wasn't it Harry?" The dark haired boy froze. After a beat, he licked his lips, and nodded. Remus...Robin...blew out the breath that he had been holding, and leaned back heavily on the bench. James looked completely lost. He never would have encountered anything like that with the amazing family that he had...but Sirius had a bit more experience. He looked down at his own had that had been toying with his fork, and quickly glanced away. ___I am a blood traitor__,_ his own scar said. The previous summer, his father had mad him fill up thirty feet of parchment with the line. Now, it was a memory that he would never be able to forget.

"Who made you do that, mate?" Sirius could hear the rage in James's voice as he said this. Looking at the students in front of them, Sirius was relieved to see that none of them seemed to identify the tone, other than Remus. Once again, Harry shifted uncomfortably, before looking at James with hate in his eyes, as he gestured up to the head table.

"You see the miserable toad in all of the frilly pink? That's Dolores Umbridge, Hogwarts' new High Inquisitor."

The Marauder's gasped in recognition. The woman was indeed miserable. In their time, she was new to the Ministry of Magic and was proposing new anti-muggle policies. The three friends looked across to the very toad-like woman with disgust. They shared a look with one another, and silently agreed. She would pay for this before they left. There was no doubt about it.

"She hasn't only done it to Harry, either," Harry's best mate, Ron Weasley, blurted. Sirius's eves traveled to him.

"She did it to Gin - that's my baby sister - did it to her, also." Ron looked pointedly down their house table, before his eyes came to rest on a red haired girl who was obviously his sister. Sirius followed the direction of his gaze, and lost his breath when he saw the girl. She was sitting down next to a small blond boy, who had an overly-large muggle camera strapped around his neck. As he watched, something that the boy said made her laugh. The bell-like sound traveled the whole length of the table, ringing through Sirius's ears like a fairy song. Just guessing, she couldn't have been very tall, probably only 5'4 or so. She would only reach Sirius's chest, if she stood in front of him. Her hair was very long, and quite red. It was darker than her brother's though, and richer, too. The shade was a bit more like Evans's (Lily's, that is) but with more highlights. As he stared, she flung the red mass over a shoulder. It danced in the hall's candle light as though it was a living thing. It reminded him of fire. Fire...

___Fire must cast away shadows, and make the dog-star bright once again..._

"Oi, Ron, I heard that the Weasley's only had boys?" The red haired boy looked perturbed. "You've only been here for a day. How would you know anything about my family?" The question was legitimate, and Sirius cursed himself for his stupidity. He looked to James and Remus, Jason and Robin, for help, but they could only shrug at him. They obviously didn't have any good ideas.

"Well, er..."

"Ronald Billius Weasley, what is this bloody _shite _I hear about you threatening to curse Dean into oblivion for talking to me?" The red haired girl stood behind Ron, quite obviously irate. Once again, Sirius noticed her hair, and had the thought that it matched her temper wonderfully. Although Sirius could not tell very well before, because she had been sitting down on the other end of the table, he noticed now that unlike the plain Hermione, this girl was very attractive. Besides for her hair setting her apart from the other girls, her face was also quite striking. Her skin was pale, and there was a sparse sprinkling of freckles across her nose, unlike the extremely freckled Ron. Her nose was small and seemed to be very button-like. Her mouth was full, and naturally red, while her eyes were a beautiful bright blue. Her uniform shirt was tight at her chest, making her breasts pile up at the cleavage, and the sleeves were rolled to her elbows. She didn't wear a jacket or a tie, and her skirt was a bit short, hitting her a few inches above her knee. In place of her knee socks, she wore fish-net stockings; instead of the plain black shoes that most of the girls wore, she had on black lace up boots, which hit her just below the knee.

Sirius looked the red haired girl up and down. His mouth had become dry, and suddenly he could remember what he had been talking about before she appeared.

"Ginny, look, you have to understand! You've been running around here like some little trollop -!"

The red haired girl sneered, and grabbed her brother by his upper arm. She half-drug him, half-forced him to his feet until he stood before her. Letting go of his arm, she pushed him backwards, hard, twice. All eyes in the hall had turned to the growing scene between the siblings. The girl was obviously furious, while her brother just looked lost.

"Ginny -"

"No Ronald, I am bloody sick of this! I am not a baby, the baby, your baby sister, ickle little Ginny, Gin-Gin, Ginnikins, or any other belittling title that you or any of the rest of our hoard can come up with for me. My fucking name is Ginny, you git! And I will not stand for being referred to as anything else anymore! I am fourteen, and you cannot treat me like this forever, you sod."

"But Gin -"

"NO! I mean it Ron. No more babying me, no more threatening boys, no more bribing Collin to spy on me - did you really think that I wouldn't find out about that? - and no more trying to run my bloody life. You are my brother, not my mother. Merlin's saggy balls Ron, I don't even listen to mum anymore! Why in the bloody hell would I listen to _you_?"

Ginny let out a large breath, and shook her head sadly. She and her brother looked at one another for a moment, until Ron broke the gaze first. Ginny turned on her heal and walked towards the entrance to the still-silent Hall. As she reached it, she looked over her shoulder at the masses of students, and scowled.

"Well what the bloody hell are you lot looking at? Fuck off, you sods."

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

Weeks passed and Sirius found that his initial hunch had turned out to be correct. Ginny was the first daughter of the Weasley's, just as her mother before her had been the first daughter of the Prewetts. The first daughter of the first daughter had been found. Now what? Sirius had no idea how to carry on, now that the mystery portion of the prophecy had been solved. The Marauders had been to see the Headmaster many times, but the old wizard was never able to direct them.

"I'm so sorry boys," Dumbledore would say, "I want to help, but really, this is your mission to fulfill. It has to be done this way. It is fate."

The three boys attended classes, and managed to blend in fairly well.

"It's just so strange," James was saying late one evening in their dormitory. The four other Gryffindor sixth-year boys had been passed out for hours. None of the Mauraders cared for them much, anyway. "What's that Prongsy?" Sirius was leaning against the other boy's four-poster bead, munching on an apple. "Us being here, mate. It's weird." Remus, who was laying on his stomach on the bed across from them with his nose buried in their defense text, looked up to join the conversation.

"What's so weird about it, James? The fact that your son is a carbon copy of you?"

The dark haired boy's face took on a gleeful expression. "He is, isn't he? Evans would be so upset!" Remus rolled his eyes, and looked down at Sirius.

"What?" Sirius fought the urge to fidget. Remus could cast one hell of a nasty look when he felt like it.

"You know what _I_ think is strange?"

"What?" James and Sirius asked, in unison.

"The fact that you are head over your bleedin' heels in _love _with the very girl that is, apparently, destined to save you from going 'beyond'."

Sirius choked on his apple, as James rolled around on the bed laughing his head off.

"Oh," Sirius spit out, recovering from the apple's blatant attempt on his life, "Stuff it Mooney. I'm not in love with that bloody bint! She just has a nice rack."

"Riiight, Sirius." Remus said, shaking his head and returning to his book.

"You are _such_ a wanker sometimes."

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

Two hours later, the three boys crept down their dormitory steps. It was two-thirty in the morning, and they were hungry.

"Dammit J-..._Jason._ Remind me why we don't have the map again?"

"Because there wasn't time to get it, you insipid oaf."

"Oaf? I'll show -"

"Hush you two, I think that I hear something."

Remus snapped this at them, as they reached the bottom of the stairs. From here, they had a clear view of the common room, but they were still safely out of sight.

"Look, there's Ginny! Hey, what's she doing at the fireplace -?"

"Shh!"

"Wait, but - -"

"SHH!"

The boys all crouched down, straining their ears in an attempt to understand what the were seeing. The red haired girl was knelt down before the fireplace, with her face shoved close to it.

"...they're saying that he's almost doubled his following in the past month alone."

"That's bloody mad! Doesn't he realize that someone is eventually going to -"

"He isn't worried, because he doesn't feel like he needs to be, Gin. As of yesterday, the Order is the only thing keeping Voldemort from staging a full stage -"

"You're saying that now that Fudge is under the Imperious, the Ministry has been completely eliminated from the fray?"

"That's it exactly, luv."

"That's shite."

"That's politics. How are you fairing there? With your project, I mean."

"We're seventy strong, as of yesterday...I've called for open-recruitment. All houses, all ages, all races, all blood...I'm pretty sure that by this time next week I will be able to have doubled those numbers."

"Ya know how much you bloody amaze me, right?"

Ginny laughed.

"Well, I can be pretty amazing, Sirius. Oh, that new communication? I've got the twins working on it; they said that it should be available by late next week."

"Brilliant! Oh, I just heard something. Must be off. Can't have your dad walking in on some late night floo-call to you. Ha. That'd turn nasty quick, wouldn't it?"

"That's quite an understatement...I'll be seeing you before too long. Christmas break is just next month."

"Are you sure that you still want to do this Gin? Because you don't need to worry about hurting me -"

"I love you, you bloody idjit, so shut up about it already. You're thirty-six, not eighty. Besides, you know how much I love breaking rues."

"Rules, yes Gin. I'm the one breaking all of the laws though, aren't I?"

"Because you care so bloody much, Mr. Prisoner of Azkaban."

"I do!"

"Rubbish."

"Okay, so maybe I really don't care. I just, you know...I feel sort of like a dirty old man!"

"You aren't dirty, nor old. You're just a bit of a cradle robber, but that doesn't matter anyway..."

"Whatever you say, I guess. I love you Gin, be safe...and don't you dare get caught."

"The same goes for you, Black. You're stakes _are_ quite a bit higher than mine. "

"Quite right. Good night, Gin."

"G'night, Sirius."

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

Ginny reached forward and cut the floo connection. Sitting back, she rested her head against the couch behind her. Her thoughts raced, as she played the past few months over in her mind. After that night in the kitchen with Sirius, they didn't speak for days. However, one impulsive afternoon alone in Grimmuald Place changed that.

_Her mother had taken her brothers out with her to Diagon Alley. Ginny had opted out, stating that she didn't feel up to it. When she heard her family depart, she sat up from her bed. The house was quiet. No Order members were there, and her father was at work. She stood, and began walking towards the door. She and Sirius were alone in the house, and the walls weren't telling any secrets. She slipped through her partially open door, and crept to the one at the end of the hall. ____Sirius__, the bronze nameplate read. She decided against knocking, and instead turned the knob. Sirius sat, propped against the window ledge, looking out the grimy windows to the courtyard below. He looked up when she entered, surprise flashing across his face._

"_Ginny - " _

_She shook her head at him, and continued approaching. When she reached him, her hands went to the hem of her shirt. Without hesitating, she pulled the garment over her head. It fell to the floor. Ten, she began to buckle her belt, and undo the buttons of her jeans._

"_Ginny, what are you doing?" Sirius's voice was horse, and held a note of desperation to it. Once again, she ignored him, as she let her jeans fall to the floor. She turned around (now wearing only a black satin bra and a matching cheekys) and walked back towards the bed. Sirius's four-poster bed was very tall, and she had to actually climb onto it. Once fully on the bed, she turned back around to look at the dark haired man. His face held none of it's previous confusion. Raw desire now shone on it. For a moment, Ginny wondered when the last time that he had been with a woman was. She steadied herself, surprised with herself at what she was actually about to do, before reaching behind her and undoing the clasp of her bra. Ridding herself of the garment, she reached down to her hips, and pulled the silky panties down her legs. Naked now, she turned her eyes to the man in front of her, and smirked. His emotions were naked to her now, and she felt a tug at her heart as she that Sirius might have been as nervous as her, in that moment. _

_Ginny scooted her ass to the edge of the bed, and leaned back on her elbows. She tried then, to make __her eyes convey everything that she felt for the man in front of her. Eyes met eyes, and with a smile, she knew that he understood. Holding a single hand out to him, she allowed her thighs to spread. As Sirius approached her, Ginny could see that his body was almost thrumming with energy. He reached the bed, and her body. Bending forward, he parted her thighs the rest of the way open with his legs. They kissed, with the crashing of two bodies fueled by need. Ginny wrapped her arms around Sirius's torso. Her fingertips found the hem of his shirt. She leaned up to pull it over his head, and as she did so, his erection pressed against her bare pussy. She moaned, which encouraged the man. He bit, kissed, licked, and sucked his way down to her chest. Finding one of her full breasts, he took the nub into his mouth. She moaned again, and raced fingernails along his back. Sirius made a desperate noise, and leaned back, fumbling with his belt, making short work of his pants. Both of them finally nude, he grabbed her roughly by the hips, and pulled them both fully onto the bed._

"_Are you sure about this luv?" His gray eyes bore into Ginny's. The only answer that he received was butterfly kisses being distributed across his stubbly cheeks. He sighed, and closed his eyes. "Have you done this before?" His voice was quiet, but Ginny's was quieter. "No, but there's a first time for everything, isn't there?" Sirius tried to pull back, but Ginny wrapped her legs around his waist. In this position, his tip brushed against her wet opening, causing them both to moan. "Please Sirius? I've wanted this since I first saw you this summer. Don't think that this is some rash decision that I just made...I've wanted this all along." Sirius sighed again, and nodded into her fiery hair. "Okay...okay. Let me get my wand first though, Gin." A quick contraceptive spell later, and Sirius was back on top of Ginny, with a huge grin on his face. "Let me know if anything hurts, alright? I'll be as gentle as I can be...to be honest though, it's been years." Ginny smiled up at him, and hopped that he couldn't tell how very nervous she was. Instead of saying anything, she pushed Sirius's shoulder, while rolling herself over with a leg. Having taken Sirius by surprise, he was now flat on his back with her straddling his lap. She took a shuddering breath, and let it out, as she eased herself down onto him. It hurt more, and felt better than, anything that she had experienced in her entire life. He was so big, too big really, for her. Gritting her teeth together against the pain, she worked her hips and sheathed him deeper inside of her. Sirius worked his hips in rhythm to her rocking. Finally the pain had subsided, and Ginny felt herself beginning to let go of everything but the man beneath her._

_Their bodies worked for what seemed like forever, until Ginny finally began to feel a growing warmth inside of her. She quickened her pace, her movements now becoming almost erratic, and dug her fingernails hard into the flesh of his shoulders. He gasped, tightening his hands oh her hips and driving himself harder and faster into her._

"_I'm so close Ginny," He whispered hoarsely into her ear. The sensation of his breath against her skin made her quiver, and suddenly it was all too much. The warmth exploded inside of her, and she screamed. With a quickness that she had never before imagined to be possible, Sirius grabbed her as she came, and flipped them over. Ginny gasped as he began pounding into her. Fast and faster, harder and harder. It felt as though he was going to split her in two. She came again twice more before his movements had slowed, and then finally stilled. Ginny gasped for breath, as Sirius collapsed in a heap on top of her._

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

******A/N**: So that was my first ever sex scene! What are our thoughts? I know that there is a vast age gap here, but c'mon! It's Sirius Black, and Ginny Weasley. He's a good guy, but not an angel. She's a badass, and a bit of a rebel. Once again, terribly sorry if I offended anyone with this...it's just the way that the chapter is headed. Review if you like it, or if you don't. Chapter three should be up sometime before Monday...stay tuned, loyal readers, stay tuned...


	4. Chapter Three

******DISCLAIMER**: All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing her plot.

******A/N****:****THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED!**

ALSO, when writing this next scene (just this first one), I kept thinking, "Damn, people are going to be confused by this." So to clarify real quick, this is from young Sirius's POV - - e.g. 16 year old Sirius, not 30-whatever Sirius. Clear as dirt? Good.

**_Chapter Three: Creepers, Conspiracies, & The Phoenix Army_**

**"_I [Anita Blake] look like a biker slut from hell meets soldier of fortune pinup."_**

**_- _****_Laurell K. Hamilton_****_, _****_The Killing Dance_******

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

"SHH!" The Mauraders quieted, straining their ears. There, in the Common Room, kneeling in front of the fireplace, was Ginny Weasley. She was wearing her pajamas; a red and black checkered pair of sleeping pants that were obviously hand-me-downs, paired with a bright blue thin-strapped top that also looked too small for her. The outfit was completed with a mismatched set of yellow and purple socks. Sirius leaned past James slightly, trying to see what she was doing. He realized with a start, that there was a head floating in the fireplace. It was a man's head, with long hair animated by the flames. He had a slight stubble across his cheeks. _Why was Ginny making a floo call in the middle of the night to an old man? _Sirius frowned as he thought about his own question.

The man in the fire was speaking in a hurried, hushed voice

.

"...they're saying that he's almost doubled his following in the past month alone."

Sirius looked at his two friends with a questioning expression. James shrugged, while Remus mouthed 'Dark Lord'. Sirius nodded, and returned his attention to the scene in front of them.

"That's bloody mad! Doesn't he realize that someone is eventually going to -" The head in the fireplace shook negatively, signaling Ginny to wait.

"He isn't worried, because he doesn't feel like he needs to be, Gin. As of yesterday, the Order is the only thing keeping Voldemort from staging a full stage -" Ginny slammed the palms of her hands against the stone of the hearth. Sirius had the absent thought that her personalty was a bit similar to his own.

"You're saying that now that Fudge is under the Imperious, the Ministry has been completely eliminated from the fray?" Her voice was indignant, and held an edge of heat to it. In that moment, Sirius admired Ginny Weasley above anyone else. In her time, just as in his, war was brewing. The only difference was that Ginny actually felt passion towards the issue, where as Sirius had been unaware that there even was a threat until a few weeks ago. He felt an unfamiliar shame fill hiss stomach, as he crouched in the shadows. Sirius wanted to feel that kind of emotion about something so important - - he wanted to have a cause.

"That's it exactly, luv." The man's voice was quiet as he said this, and his expression softened. James looked at Sirius, and his eyebrows shot up. 'Luv', he mouthed, with a questioning look on his face. Sirius shrugged, and focused back on Ginny.

"That's shite." Her voice was deadpan, as she angrily ran a hand through her hair.

"That's politics. How are you fairing there? With your project, I mean." The man in the fireplaces face was suddenly intent, and held a hint of excitement to it. There was something almost familiar about the long haired man, but Sirius couldn't quite put his finger on it. He glanced to his best friends. James was oblivious to Sirius's feelings, but Remus had an almost stunned expression on his face. "What?" he whispered. Remus swallowed, and shook his head, gesturing to the room in front of them.

"We're seventy strong, as of yesterday...I've called for open-recruitment. All houses, all ages, all races, all blood. I'm pretty sure that by this time next week I will be able to have doubled those numbers." The man in the fireplace beamed at the red haired girl in front of him. In the shadows, the three friends shared a confused look. _Open-recruitment...what the bloody hell was she talking about?_

"Ya know how much you bloody amaze me, right?" Ginny laughed softly, and shrugged playfully. _Was she flirting with him? _Sirius's thoughts raced for a moment. _He was so much older than her!_

_"__Well, I can be pretty amazing, Sirius.__ Oh, that new communication? I've got the twins working on it; they said that it should be available by late next week."_

_Sirius_...Sirius froze at the name, while Remus and James's eyes flew over to him. Remus was nodding slowly, as though saying 'I knew it'. James just looked shocked, if not a bit amused, "Mate, you're a bloody creeper!" Sirius glared at the comment, and punched him in the arm. He was completely floored by this new discovery, but watching Ginny and his future self's late-night affair was like seeing a train wreck. It was almost beautiful, almost horrible, and he was completely unable to look away from it.

"Brilliant! Oh, I just heard something. Must be off. Can't have your dad walking in on some late night floo-call to you. Ha. That'd turn nasty quick, wouldn't it?" Sirius (future, or would that be present? Sirius) chuckled deeply. Beside him, James stifled a snort, and Remus quickly jabbed his elbow into his friend's ribs.

"That's quite an understatement...I'll be seeing you before too long. Christmas break is just next month." Ginny's voice held a note of longing to it. In the shadows, Sirius was swept up by a wave of jealousy. Girls had liked him, and lusted after him, but never before had a girl sounded like that when thinking about him. Was it ridiculous to be jealous of yourself? Yes, probably.

"Are you sure that you still want to do this Gin? Because you don't need to worry about hurting me -" Future Sirius (old Sirius, Sirius decided he would refer to his future self as) rushed this out, before Ginny held up a hand, effectively cutting him off.

"I love you, you bloody idjit, so shut up about it already. You're thirty-six, not eighty. Besides, you know how much I love breaking rues." Sirius glared at his two friends, who were staring at him with disbelieving expressions.

"Rules, yes Gin. I'm the one breaking all of the laws though, aren't I?" Old Sirius's voice was biter, making Ginny scoff at him.

"Because you care so bloody much, Mr. Prisoner of Azkaban." The Marauder's eyes went wide. They had been told by Dumbledore what fate had in store for them all, but hearing it be spoken about in front of them made it that much more real.

"I do!" Old Sirius's voice held mock-outrage, making Ginny snort a very rude way.

"Rubbish." Her voice held a note of challenge to it, as if saying,'_c'mon, fight me on this'_. It made both Sirius's smile at her.

"Okay, so maybe I really don't care. I just, you know...I feel sort of like a dirty old man!" James and Remus's bodies shook with suppressed laughter. Sirius just glared.

"You aren't dirty, nor old. You're just a bit of a cradle robber, but that doesn't matter anyway..." Ginny's voice was matter-of-fact, making Sirius realize how little she really must care about the years separating her and his future self.

"Whatever you say, I guess. I love you Gin, be safe...and don't you dare get caught." Old Sirius gazed intently at the girl in front of him.

"The same goes for you, Black. You're stakes _are_ quite a bit higher than mine. " Ginny's voice was once again matter-of-fact, but she couldn't conceal the deeper emotions flowing beneath the surface of it.

"Quite right. Good night, Gin."

Old Sirius smiled lovingly at her, and Sirius shook his head in disbelief. _This was all getting _**too bloody **_weird._

"G'night Sirius."

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

The three boys waited in the shadows until Ginny walked by them, and quietly ascended the stairs to her own dormitory. After waiting a few moments to make sure that she was indeed settled in her own dorm, they returned to theirs. All thoughts that they had previously focused on food were now long forgotten. They (Sirius especially) were overloaded with new information. They needed to think, More than that though, they needed to figure out what it all meant. Silently, they returned to their respective beds. Sirius didn't lay down, as much as fall face-first into his mattress. As he did this, Remus finished casting the silencing charm around their portion of the room.

"Aw, c'mon Padfoot. Things aren't that bad."

"Thbuwguffwaff." Sirius's voice was distorted, as he was speaking into his pillow. He sensed movement, and heard a small creak. Remus had moved to side beside James, at the edge of Sirius's four-poster.

"What was that mate?" Remus's voice was free of the mocking note that James's had held. Mooney always knew when to be serious. Sirius lifted his face slightly, before flipping over onto his back and crossing his arms under his head.

"I said, right, because you aren't destined to become a pedophile!" Sirius stared up at the top of his canopy. He liked Ginny now, as a sixteen year old! He was having a hard time coping in the face of the future that was in store for him.

"Look Sirius, don't give up yet, mate. I know that things seem pretty bad right now, but you have to remember: we were sent here for a reason! It can't just be a coincidence that Dumbledore heard the prophecy. We can save you...we have to. Just as we have to save everyone else from this bleedin' Dork Lord fellow." Rarely did James Potter show this level of emotion - about anything. Sirius stared into his best friend's face, and realized that he was right. It was not the time for wallowing is self-pity, it was time to piece together the puzzle that fate had lain out before them, and figure out a plan.

Sirius looked at his two best friends, noticing, but ignoring their worried expressions. He felt and odd sense of purpose as a strange smile spread over his face. He met the eyes of his fellow Marauders, and a plan formed in his head. Registering the odd, but familiar look on their friend's face, James and Remus glanced at each other apprehensively. After staring at the wild-haired boy for a moment, they bot started when he suddenly sprung up off of the bed and clasped his hands together.

"A'ight, hear me out here. What do we know?" Sirius looked at one boy, and then the other with eyebrows raised.

"We know that you like 'em young…" James muttered, earning himself a dark look from his best mate.

"Other than that, Captain Amazing." Sirius looked to Remus, who deadpanned and shrugged.

"Well," the blond boy began, "Ginny told Sirius...er, Creeper Sirius (sorry mate), that she had begun 'open recruitment'." Sirius nodded.

"Yes! This is what I'm talking about! Everything that we've found out has all centered around Ginny Weasley. So, keeping that in _mind_…I propose that we stalk her."

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

The next day, everywhere Ginny went she felt as though someone was watching her. The thought that she was just being paranoid _had _occurred to her more than once throughout the course of the day, but then, so had the thought that there was something wrong. Ever since her second year, and Tom Riddle, Ginny Weasley had learned two things: how to be cautious, and prepared. The deceitfully handsome, dangerous boy who called himself Tom Riddle, had in more ways than one, raped the innocence out of her. He'd taken away all that she had been, and all that she was meant to be. He had stripped her down to the core, trying to steal away all that she had to offer. But she hadn't given in, had fought him for all tat she was worth until Harry had come along and saved her. Yes, Tom riddle had destroyed her, but he had also helped her see what she really was.

In the weeks that had followed the Chamber, her mother had locked her inside of her room to 'heal'. Isolated from the world for months due to her mother's shame of her only daughter, Ginny had copious amounts of time to think. For the first time in her life, there hadn't been anyone around for her to vie for the attention of, or compete against. During this time of isolation and mediation, Ginny had finally realized that there was a choice lain out before her. She saw that she could either try (and fail) to go back to being the naive first-year who had always trusted so easily, go back to being the Ginny Weasley that everyone expected for her to be. Or she could change. Just by committing to doing it, she could forget that she had ever been so easily deceived. Ginny felt certain that she could harden herself, inside and out, and become what she had never dared imagined herself as being. Ginny decided in the aftermath of Tom Riddle, that she would become strong, a force.

In the years since, this decision had manifested itself into her consciousness so deeply, that to the people closest to her, or at least those who had known her the longest, she had become nearly unrecognizable. She still laughed, still smiled. But her eyes were never in it; they watched everything, and everyone. She was always looking for unseen threats, and analyzing words and intentions. After her first year, she had forgotten about all of the things that her old self had been so concerned with. Boys, clothes, friends…none of it really held weight in her mind anymore. Sure, she still talked to people, still flirted with boy...sometimes, not really at all since the summer, and Sirius, though...and she still tired to look her best. What no one knew about her though, was that the main thing that she concerned herself with, for the past three years, had been the pursuit to learn anything and everything that concerned Defense, and defending herself. So she studied books, and dove deeper and deeper into the sea of wizard's defense, while in secrete, she studied muggle defense, and learned how to truly fight. Outside of that, she made sure to pay attention in the rest of her classes, and always try to go beyond what was expected of her. She did the extra readings, worked on perfecting spells and potions far longer than any other student bothered to. Tom Riddle had taught her that knowledge was power, and that when someone held more knowledge than you did, they held more power than you.

Because of this lifestyle that Ginny lived by on the sly, Ginny prided herself in being vigilant, and prepared, and aware. When something didn't feel right, she stayed alert; when someone didn't seem right, she watched them. And that is how, at six-thirty that evening, Sirius Black came to be at the business end of Ginny Weasley's wand.

She had been headed down to the Great Hall for supper, when she realized with certainty that she was being followed, by at least two people. She felt a pang of fear realizing that this must have been who had been watching her all day. She pushed that thought to the furthest corner of her mind, and glanced at the window to her left. It was dark outside, but the corridor she was walking through was light heavily by candles. She clearly saw her own outline reflected in the long sheet of glass, just as she could see three others walking a short distance behind her. One of the figures was closer to her than the others. She glanced away, and thought quickly. Plan formed, she veered off down a lesser-traveled hallway to her right. The sound of soft foot falls followed her down the corridor.. Without warning, she turned quickly, and grabbed the person following the closest behind her by the front of their shirt collar, and jammed the tip of her wand against the nape of his neck.

"Ah!" The boy yelled, startled.

"What the fuc -!"

"What're you -?!"

"Shut up, all of you, before I give your mate Sam here a new orifice to breath out of!"

Her stalkers turned out to be the Thompson boys; they had recently transferred to Hogwarts. They were all orphans, adopted as brothers by muggles, who had been one of Voldemort's earliest victims when he had first began making plays to display his growing powers at the start of the summer. His attacks had, since then, become increasingly brutal. The latest, which had been reported just the previous day, had consisted of the murder of an entire family. Three children, a baby, their parents, and their grandmother. Ginny shivered just thinking about it. Time was running out, as the war was becoming increasing more violent. Tom Riddle's arrogance was beginning to show through in Voldemort's attacks. Soon, he would begin targeting the light, directly. _War would be at their doorstep, and everyone needed to be ready_…Ginny shook her head to clear her thoughts, and turned her mind back to the current matter at hand.

"Why in the bloody hell have you gits been following me all day?" Ginny spat at Robin and Jason, who had looks of utter shock on their faces.

"We haven't -" Sam, who was utterly still under the threat of her wand, began.

"You _really _aren't in a good position to lie to me, Thompson." Ginny's voice was hard as she said this, tightening her hold on the boy's collar, and digging her wand in deeper. It was a difficult position to hold. Sam seemed like he was at least a solid foot taller than her, which meant that to stay like this, she had to hold his collar with her full weight. It made him bend his knees, stooping backwards to her height, which of course did make the whole wand-point thing easier.

"Obviously not." He rasped, with a pleading look at his friends.

"We heard that you're holing open recruitment. We want in." Ginny's head swiveled to Robin. They locked eyes for a moment; Robin visibly swallowed.

"Because of your parents?" Her voice was quiet, but sharp. Jason looked at Robin, who nodded. A moment of considering, before Ginny suddenly released her hold on Sam's collar, and pushed him forward towards his brothers. He gasped, and grasped onto Jason's shoulder to keep from falling. Apparently she had been holding her wand so tightly against the boy's neck that his breathing had become ragged. _W____hoops_, she thought with a small smirk.

"Fine then." She dug in her pocket for a moment, before removing three small items. She held her wand up to them for a moment, and muttered something indecipherable. At once, the items,which looked like brightly colored plastic boxes, grew to the size of a small wallet. She handed one to each of the boys. Robin received a lime green box, Jason, a dark blue, and Sam, fuchsia pink. At being handed his, Sam shot her a reproachful look, to which she only shrugged.

"Sorry, colors are running out."

"What are these?" Jason was examining his with fascination. The box had a small clear screen on it, with small buttons underneath.

"Muggles call them sidekicks. The PA uses them as a safe means of communication."

"PA?" Sam said, with furrowed eyebrows. Ginny looked at him sharply.

"The Phoenix Army, you dolt. The thing that you lot said you wanted to be recruited into. Ringin' any bells, wanker?"

"Oh, right. Sorry. I'd just never, er, heard what the acronym stood for, ya know?" Sam looked nervous as he said this, and Ginny began to reconsider recruiting them. Their parents had been murdered though. In her mind, they had just as much right to fight as anyone else did.

"Well, it really wouldn't be much of a secret army if, you know, everyone knew about it." She gave him one last scrutinizing look, before scowling and turning her eyes back to the entire group. "Anyway, this sidekick. Messages have been charmed so that only the right eyes can see them."

"What are they for?" Jason asked, still intrigued by the muggle item.

"The PA uses them to broadcast the time and place of meetings. In these times, especially with that bitch Umbridge here," when she said the woman's name, she subconsciously rubbed the back of her right hand.

___I am filth._

The words were etched into the pale flesh on the back of her hand, in the same manner as Harry's had been.

"As one could expect, finding opportune moments for nearly a hundred students to disappear for an evening has become increasingly difficult." She finished with a hollow laugh. Shaking her head, she once again looked at the three boys in front of her. Really, they didn't look like much. Of course, she probably didn't either. For all she knew, these three boys would grow up to impact the entire history of the wizarding world, just like Harry already had.

"When you receive a message, the box with thrum. Send back confirmation that you will be there. All messages sent in the network return to me…be warned, I suppose. I don't take treachery well." She felt her face turn dark, for a moment. As of yet, no member had sold out the Army. Really though, she pitied anyone that would.

"Also, if I receive your confirmation, but you do not arrive, you will be missed. I personally look for any member that fails to attend. Skipping meetings is, of course, your own prerogative, but be courteous. Times are dark, and even Hogwarts is not always safe." The boys in front of her shared a look, before nodding. They seemed to understand the weight of what she was saying. Happy with their reactions, she nodded her goodbye, before turning on her heel and walking away.

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

Curses flew through a large abandoned classroom in the astronomy tower, as the Phoenix Army practiced stunning.

"_Stupify_!"

Shouts of the world could be heard echoing through the classroom. Before each meeting silencing spells, coupled with protection, disillusionment, and repelling charms were all placed around the area. In addition, an array of locking spells were placed over the door of that meeting's location. Of course, Ginny's philosophy was that you could never be too safe. Even the charms that she so carefully placed around the parameter of the room were not a safe guard over being discovered. There was always the chance that someone unwanted could appear at the door, and ans it turned out, that was exactly what happened on that particular night.

Shouts ceased, as the doors to the large classroom's double door suddenly shuddered. All eyes turned to Ginny, who ran to the door, wand drawn, ready to duel. She held her position, backed by Forge, the Thompsons, Luna, Neville, and Collin. The door shuddered, before bursting open. Standing there, breathing heavily was none other than the Golden Trio, as Ginny had come to affectionately consider them. Seeing who the intruders were, she sighed heavily, and pocketed her wand. Walking over to the doors, she ignored the three teen's outraged remarks about secrets and friends who lacked loyalty. Peering out into the hall, she saw no sign of anyone. Shaking her head and muttering darkly to herself, Ginny closed the doors as quietly as she could, and redid the locking spell. Turning back around, she was faced with a room of almost one-hundred students, all with their eyes glued to her. Frustrated, she ran a hand through her red hair before addressing the tree gate-crashers.

"How did you lot find this place?" Her voice was flat, as she looked at her brother, the boy she had once thought herself to be in love with, and the girl that had been more like a sister to her than anyone else. In that moment, she hated them all. Since the Chamber, she had been living an almost divided personality. There was the quiet, standoffish Ginny that her family usually saw, except for when she was angry, and then there was the real Ginny. The Ginny who had done what no one else had ever thought of, making a reserve army out of a lot of unlikely students. The Ginny who was madly in love with a man who was more than twenty years her senior. The Ginny who was sleeping with said man, Sirius Black. Ginny liked the double life, because she knew that, if faced with the reality of the person that their daughter really was, her parents could never accept it. The would never allow themselves to understand.

"The map. We saw you on the map, Gin." Harry spoke, his voice quiet. Fuckin' map, Ginny thought. Of course they had used the map that the Marauders had made during their days at Hogwarts. As she began to reply, she was interrupted by her brother bellowing.

"IT'S A BLOOD CONSIPRACY!" Ginny flinched, but held steadfast against her brother's anger. Ron had one hell of a temper, but then, so did all of the Weasleys. Anger was nothing new to Ginny, and she certainly would not lose face in front of the entire PA to him. "You could have at least told me that you were in Neville's secret army Gin, Merlin, what type of sister are you?!" Ginny froze, while almost a hundred mouths dropped.

_Neville? _**Neville? ****_Neville_****?! The word echoed through Ginny's mind furiously.**

"Are you starkers, you bloody wanker?! You think that Neville bleedin' Longbottom - sorry Neville -"

"S'alright - -"

"You think that it was _him_ that started this bloody organization? You really are retarded, ya know that? Mum must have been hittin' the Firewhiskey when she was pregnant with you, because - -" Ginny was cut off by Harry.

"If it wasn't Neville, then who the hell was it, Gin?" His voice was free of accusation. It was only a question. Behind Harry, Hermione gasped. Ginny glanced at her, knowing that she had figured it out.

"_Ginny_? But it - -you can't!" Hermione was completely shocked, which sent a jolt of anger through Ginny. Why was it that unlikely that she was behind it? She rolled her eyes skyward, ready to voice her anger, before someone did it for her.

"Why is it so unlikely, then?" Sam asked, fists clinched. "You're her brother," He said, rounding on Ron. "But you don't know her at all. If you did, then you would know how much this all means to her, and you would understand that by coming here, like _this_, that you were jeopardizing everything that she's worked towards - -" Sam's irate rant was cut off by the red-faced Ron.

"How do you know so bloody much about my sister then? Are you shagging her or something? Is that it? Is she a liar, and a slu- -" Ron was silenced, by a fist connecting with his jaw. A silence hung thick in the air, as the PA watched the scene before them play out. Ron recovered after a moment, and threw himself at the boy. Sam fell backwards with the sudden weight, but rolled on impact, landing himself on top of the other boy. Fists flew, Ron's face quickly becoming blackened. Sam's nose was bleeding. Friends were all too stunned to react, no one really understood what was happening, other than that it was happening. After moments of helping Hermione scream at the boys to stop, Ginny had had enough. Drawing her wand, she pointed it at the fighting boys.

"_Imobulus_!"

Ginny yelled the spell, and the force that she put into it threw the boys apart. Sam and Ron landed on opposite sides of the room, before freezing in place. She looked at the boys on the floor carefully for a moment, before undoing the spell. Standing while brushing his shirt off, Ron glowered at her. Ginny took a deep, shuddering breath, before walking over to Sam and helping him to his feet. A muttered healing charm cast at his nose, and he was as good as new. His hand few up to the healed appendage, checking it for damage. When he found none, he smiled lightly.

"Thanks." Ginny smiled at him, before shaking her head.

"No, thank you…really." He bowed at her playfully, and in that moment she was reminded so much of Sirius. Her Sirius, who at that moment was no doubt sitting in a house that he hated, had sworn never to return to, feeling useless and alone. Tears suddenly brimmed in her light eyes. She turned quickly, hiding her face with a swish of her hair.

"Ginny," Harry began, walking up to her. Jason was near him, walking just slightly behind. Ginny wondered briefly if the two boys had developed a friend ship. Really, it wouldn't surprise her. From what she had seen, their personalities were eerily similar. "What is this, then? We've heard stories…just whispers, of course. No one has ever said much of anything about it. Hell, without the map, we'd have never been able to find it."

"This," she said, with a grand sweeping gesture around the room, "is the Phoenix Army."

"But what is it? I know that it's an army, but…What the bloody hell is it, Gin? I don't think that Hogwarts has ever been this tight lipped about anything. People are acting like this club of yours is such a big deal - -" Ron started, but was cut off by an angry Ginny.

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you about it, Ronald! You laugh in my face, when this is the most important bloody thing that I have ever done, _in my life_. I have created an army, you worthless git, not a bloody club! This is serious. If the Ministry falls (which, in case you didn't realize, it already pretty much _has_) and the good guys are all bloody _murdered_, then _this _is all that will be left! Us, Ronald!"

The red headed boy stood, open mouthed, in a shocked silence. Harry and Hermione wore similar looks. Behind the Trio, there were many proud faces in the crowd. Ginny did not discriminate based on age, race, blood, or house. Everyone was welcome to join the Army, because the war was affecting everyone. It was only right, in her mind, that every student who had been touched by the war was given the chance to fight in it.

"Ginny, it's just…how could you have done all this? I would have known about it! If not me, then someone. Harry or Hermione…mum, at least!" Ron had begun to lose his anger. Somehow, the idea of Ginny being capable of keeping such an immense secret to herself was just too hard of a thought to bear. Ginny rolled her eyes once again, and gestured at her brother.

"What reason did I have to tell you what I was doing Ron? You would have laughed in my bloody face if I had run the idea past you first, and you well know it!" Ginny shook her head, and looked at the crowd around them. It was getting late, and if they wanted to get back to their respective dormitories undiscovered, then they needed to go soon.

"Look Ron, we can talk about this later, alright? Right now, we need to leave, before someone important discovers our absence." Ginny made her face pleading. Really, she did not intend to talk to her brother about the matter again. It was her business, not his. Right now, she just needed him to believe her, so that everyone could leave peacefully. He gazed at her with a look on his face seeming almost as if he did not recognize the girl in front of him, before crossing his arms over his chest, and nodding to the floor. Ginny sighed. Despite his quick temper and slow whit, she really did love Ron. ___Dammit_, she thought angrily. _N____ow I'm going to have to let the little sod join!_

******XxXxxXxxXxx**

******A/N: **Did we like it? Was it everything that we had dreamed about, and more? Next chapter will be up sometime this week, _probably _before the weekend. I think that next chapter will be Christmas break; before anyone reprimands me, yes, I know that I am horrible about sticking to the timetable of the books. But well, what's the fun of fan fiction of you just rewrite the books, yea? Review, please! 'Coz it encourages me to update, so much!


	5. Chapter Four

******DISCLAIMER**: All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing her plot.

**A/N**: THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED!

Have I really not included a description of the Marauders anywhere? I'd thought that I already had, but DimFishLovesParamore told me otherwise. I must have deleted it, and then forgot to rewrite the scene, damn it. But yeah, sorry about that =) Also, to lizzytish: I totally feel what you're saying about the age thing. It like, almost ooges me out, but then…it doesn't. I know where this story is actually going though, don't I? Promise, stay with me on this, and eventually, the age thing won't seem so important.

**_Chapter Four: Christmas Nightmares, of a Varied Kind_**

**"_Crippled things are always more beautiful. It's the flaw that brings out beauty."_**

**―****_Holly Black_****_, _****_Tithe_******

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

IN THE WEEKS following what Ginny came to consider as being The Ron Incident, she developed a strange sort of friendship with the Thompson boys. Strange, because she never sought them out, or even really gave them any type of encouragement to pursue her, in any way. Somehow though, despite the two year difference between their years, they always ended up being there. When she sat at their house table for meals, Sam would suddenly be next to her, with his brothers in front of them. Without fail, they would ignore her protests and eventually she would forget to bitch about it as they told her jokes and stories that would make her cry with laughter. When she traveled through the corridors, they would always somehow find her and walk with her to her next destination, which was quite a feat considering that and their respective schedules looked nothing alike. In the evenings, when she tried to follow the ritual that she had kept since the end of her first year (skip out of dinner early, go to the library, drown herself in defense texts), somehow the three boys always managed to track her down. And of course, her protests were as good as rubbish to them. Once they had found her, there was no escaping them. Of course, Ginny really didn't mind the company. The Thompson boys were all very fun, and in many ways, familiar, although she had still been unable to pinpoint why. As days turned into weeks though, the feeling of familiarity that she felt towards Sam was becoming too great to ignore. This was made worse by the fact that the boy obviously carried a torch for her. The last thing that Ginny wanted to do to him was lead him on. Sure, she enjoyed his friendship, but that was the extent of it. She was in love with Sirius, and she didn't plan on anything changing that. Sam was nice, really, but he just wasn't Sirius.

Four days before the Christmas holiday, Ginny sat in the Great Hall with Robin and Sam. Jason had ducked out of their lunch early, when he had suddenly spotted Harry leaving. Ginny thought that the two boys had become friends, or something of the sort, judging by the way that James had been watching him lately. ___Well_, Ginny thought, wrinkling her nose. ___I suppose that he could just be gay and have a bit of a thing for him..._No, she decided that that couldn't have been it. She knew that there was something very strange about the Thompson brothers. Everything that they did, the things that they said, it was all just too familiar. Spending time with them was enjoyable, but it had begun to feel like rereading a favorite book. The story was so clear in her mind, so beautifully familiar…but still, she could not place it. Familiar as it was, there was a blankness that entered her mind when she tried to identify the connection. At these times, all that she could think of was Sirius. His scent, his laugh, the way that he smiled; Ginny chocked it up to missing him.

As she sat thinking about this familiarity, her ears perked up at something that Sam was saying to Robin.

"…you think that's bad, mate! Once, when I was, I dunno, maybe I was eight? Nine at the absolute most - "

Her head jerked up as the boys words registered in her mind. Where has she heard that before? It seemed so familiar!

"- my mum locked me in our basement, which you know, is actually the _second _basement! So she locked me in there, and I ended up being stuck in there for three days before anyone ever got me back out…"

Ginny's eyes widened. She now knew why the story had sounded so familiar; it was the exact same story that Sirius had told her and her brothers at the start of the previous summer.

"___There are some truly horrible things down there, Ginny_," he had told her. "___I got to see it all up close and personal for three days__."_

For a moment, Ginny stayed frozen in her seat. She was completely shocked. Sirius was back at Grimmuald Place, so who the bloody hell was siting beside her? Various thoughts raced through her mind, each one more fantastical than the next. Suddenly, she remembered what Sirius had told her during the summer about Harry and Hermione saving him and Buckbeak in her second year. He had said that the only reason why he was still sane (partially, at least) was because of the girl's time-turner. The gears that had been furiously turning in her mind, suddenly came to a screeching halt. A time-turner! Time-travel! The Thompson boys must have actually been the Marauders. Sirius had spent many half-drunk nights regaling her with the adventures that he had had, back in his own school days with his best mates. She mentally cursed herself. That's why everything that they said seemed so familiar. She had heard it all before!

Ginny took in a sharp breath. She did not like being lied to. Sure, there was no telling why the three boys were actually in her time... But they still could have at least told her! Especially with as much as they had been following her. Ginny's brow furrowed as she thought about that. Why _had_ they been spending so much time with her? Surely, if they had come all the way from the past, then there must be a real reason why they were there. Ginny was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by a hand waving in front of her face.

"Hullo?" Said 'Sam'. He was smiling as he tried to get her attention. All at once, Ginny was furious. She slapped the guilty hand away from her, and slung one of her legs over the bench, so that she was straddling the seat and facing the boy in question. A look that could have only been described as a bearing of teeth washed over her face. Sam quickly became apprehensive, the smile quickly slipping away.

"Don't you fucking 'hullo' me, you bloody _sod_! I know your soddin' secret Sirius Orion Black!" Her words were quiet and bitten off, hissed with malice between her teeth. She said it quiet enough so that the small group of boys could hear her, but no one else. She roughly pushed the shocked boy backwards, so that he fell into Fred Weasley's side, who had been sitting next to him on his other side. As she stormed out of the Hall, tears pooled in her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. She felt betrayed. How could Sirius keep something like this from her?

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

"Look Padfoot, we don't know that she actually knows!" James was doing his best to comfort his best friend, but it was truly to no avail. He had only ever seen Sirius this upset once, and that had been during the previous summer when he had shown up on the Potter's doorstep bloody, with tear streaks stained down his cheeks. His parents had tried to force him into joining in on their pure-blood extremism for the last time. He had renounced his name, and disowned his family. Now James looked into his best friend's eyes, and realized that he may well be more upset than that. Sirius looked over at his friend, and scowled darkly. They were alone in the common room. It was well past two in the morning, and the other students had gone to bed hours ago. Sleep had never even crossed Sirius's mind throughout the course of the evening. He was confused, and worried. What if he had lost Ginny? Not that he himself had ever had her, but his future self sure as hell did, and she was obviously the best thing that had ever happened to him!

"Right, she doesn't know a bloody thing Jamie. _That's_ why she said - -" Here he tried to make his voice a few octaves higher, "'_I know your secret Sirius Black!_'"

"Actually, I think that she used your full name Padfoot…" Remus mused, sitting in a corner near the window. Sirius scowled, while the other boy shrugged. Sighing miserably, Sirius slid down the wall, and put his head in his hands. The three boys sat like that for a few minutes, before a shout broke through the night. At once they leapt to their feet. It had been a boy's voice, which made their thoughts immediately turn to Harry. The poor boy seemed to just have that sort of luck. They raced up the stairs, to the fifth year boy's dormitory. As James threw open the door, they were greeted by an unnerving sight. Harry was sprawled on the floor (unconscious or asleep, Sirius couldn't be sure) screaming, while his body convulsed. Ron was kneeling by his friend's side, trying with panic stricken expression on his face to help the boy, somehow. James ran up, and placed Harry's (his son, Sirius corrected himself, with wide eyes) head on his lap, and began trying to wake him. Remus was the first to try any magic. As soon he said the first spell, Sirius joined in, racking his brain with every charm used to wake a person that he could think of. After a moment, Harry's other roommate (Dean, maybe?) ran into the room with Professor McGonagall in tow.

When Sirius saw the look on the elder woman's face, his blood ran cold. There was no trace of her usually stern expression, it had been replaced with a look of complete horror. It became clear to Sirius that she had no more understanding of what was happening to his godson than anyone else in the room. Seamus had already been sent to retrieve Poppy from the hospital wing, but he had the growing feeling that whatever was happening to Harry might kill him before the nurse arrived.

After a split-second of indecision, he tore out of the room, and ran towards the stairs for the girl's dormitory. Quickly scanning the circular entrance way to the girl's various dorms, his eyes landed on the door marked 'Fourth Years'. The door was locked, and instead of scanning his mind of a silent unlocking spell, he quickly settled on the more obtrusive choice.

"___Bombardia_!" He bellowed.

Instantly, the door was thrown forward off of it's hinges. Girl's screams sounded as he tore into the room. It only took a moment to locate the youngest Weasley. She was the one with her wand pointed dead-center at his chest, a look of murder on her face. He only had a moment to scan her body with his gaze. She wore an over large pair of flannel sleep pants, probably hand-me-downs from a brother, and a small black thin-strapped shirt.

"Si – Sam? What the bloody _hell_ is it, you wanker?!"

Sirius shook his head and grabbed her by the wrist, leading her out of the room. He ignored Ginny's protests as he led her back up to the boy's dorms. After a moment, she finally quieted and just let him lead her. Sirius had the fleeting feeling that if he weren't anyone other than her lover's younger self, than he would have already had a limb or two blown off. They entered the room, which was now full of hysterical Gryffindor boys, and he turned to look at Ginny. There was no panic in her face, no fear in her posture. She seemed to be thinking; assessing the situation, no doubt. She was silent, as she determinedly approached the still-withering boy. Kneeling, she glanced at James and his terrified expression, before placing a hand on Harry's cheek and turning him to face her.

"Harry, can you hear me? Harry?" Although his body still shook, his scream quieted, before breaking off entirely. It was hard to tell, due to the convulsions, but it seemed like the boy tried to nod. Ginny seemed to think so to, because she continued.

"Listen to me Harry; I need you to answer me. Does your scar burn?" A small guttural noise, and this time, a nod was defiantly decipherable. The red haired girl pulled in a sharp breath, and puffed it back out. Suddenly, her wand was in her hand. She had drawn it so quickly, Sirius hadn't even seen her reach. The Deputy Headmistress made a protesting sound, but Ginny was too quick.

_"____Finite Incantium__!"_

At once, Harry's body stilled, and the scream that had been building die in his throat. His breath was ragged, as he propped himself up on elbows to look at her. With a pained expression, he spoke.

"Gin, we need Dumbledore. You're dad's been attacked."

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

Sirius looked around the stone kitchen, with a dark expression cast over his face. He was trying to be the positive, reassuring adult in the situation, but he was really quite lost. From his seat at the head of the table, he had a clear view of everyone's faces. Next to him, Ginny sat, with her legs curled up to her chest and her chin tucked against her knees. She had tilted her head so that her long, soft red hair glimmered in the dim candle light, and her pale face was hidden from everyone in the room except for him. Her beautiful blue eyes were swimming. Tears had been welling in them since her and the others had arrived, but she had yet to let any drop. That would be for later, as it usually was. Ginny was unlike any woman that he had ever met before. She was so young, too young, but she was stronger than any person that he had ever met before. She was hard, determined, and so terribly, unbelievably angry. But she was also this other person, a shadow of the girl that had been possessed by Voldemort. She was vulnerable, and she was hurt.

Sometimes, when they managed to steal away together, afterward, he would hold onto her, and let her talk. Her words were always small, and hurried, as though she were afraid that if she spoke too loudly then someone else would hear her. She spoke to him about Tom Riddle, and about how he had made her think that she had loved him. The things that she would tell Sirius (things that she had never dared to tell anyone else) were dark, and sometimes almost unbearable to hear. He would hold her tightly, though, and listen. Really, it was the best thing that he knew how to do. As she painted pictures of an innocent, sweet girl and a dark young man through his mind, he made promises to himself. He would never do that to her. He would protect her. He would save her, and maybe..._maybe_, she would save him in the process.

Now, Sirius blinked, and looked at the other faces seated around the long table. Next to Ginny, was a tall young man, with shoulder-length, dark brown hair. His eyes were a deep, swimming blue, and his face was long, with a masculine chin, and the promise off a five o'clock shadow grazing his cheeks. Apparently, he was new to Hogwarts. His name was Sam something - Thompson, perhaps? Next to him, was one of his brothers (adoptive brothers, Harry had informed him) Jason. He was also quite tall, although not nearly so much as Sam. The boy's face wasn't as long as Sam's either. His features were squarer and more masculine. His eyes were a bright green, almost like Harry's but not nearly as striking. His hair was short, and shaggy. It hung in dark blond chunks in his face. The boy frequently ran a hand through it nervously. With a dull pang, he realized that it was the same nervous gesture that James always had. Next to Jason, was Robin. Sirius had pegged him immediately as the book type. He was very quiet, and spoke in a low, level voice. His hair was shoulder length, and black. His skin was pale, almost as much so as Ginny's, and freckles grazed his angular cheekbones. The most striking thing about this brother, were his eyes. They were the exact same, empathetic eyes of one of his best friends. Every time that Sirius met Robin's eyes, he was unnerved by the sight.

On the other side of the table, Fred and George took up post at opposite head of the table, while Ron and Hermione sat faithfully next to his godson. Harry was pale, and looked vaguely sickly. Sirius could see that Voldemort's earlier attack on him had left a scar in his mind. His heart went out towards the boy. He had already been through so much, it just didn't seem right that this could be happening to him now. Sirius shook his head, as he tried and failed to think of something to say to the melancholy group. Minutes of thick silence ticked by, until Harry finally decided to fill it.

"Ginny?" His godson's voice was quiet, but steady. Ginny shifted in her seat.

"Yeah?" Her voice was raspy, but it didn't betray the fear that he had seen shining through earlier.

"How did you know to cast that spell earlier?" Sirius frowned at the question. This was going to be hard for her to explain.

"You know, that really is a good question Ginny. Ron said that not even Professor McGonagall knew to try it."

Sirius cringed at the high-pitch of the bushy haired girl's voice. Hermione was nice enough, but sometimes she seriously grated on his nerves. Sirius chanced a glance at his (what, girlfriend?) - at Ginny. She was now sitting cross-legged in the chair, with elbows propped on knees. She had her right hand raised to her face, as though her shiny purple nail polish had suddenly become the most fascinating thing in the world. She wore a pair of hand-me-down flannel pajama pants, and a small, thin strapped black top. From where she was hunched forward in her seat, her breasts were pushed together, offering up a generous view of her cleavage. Sirius quickly looked away, feeling his cheeks threaten to heat up.

Ginny cleared her throat, and turned her head so that she fully faced Harry. "I felt like it was the right one, Harry." The dark haired boy shook his head, and slammed his fist down on the table. "Dammit Gin, that's a load of rubbish! You walked in, and you _knew _what was happening. That's why you didn't freak out like everyone else did. You asked me questions, and then you acted. Now I want to know, how did you know?" Harry's voice lacked any threads of anger. He was determined to uncover the answer, though. Ginny ran fingers through her long, silken hair and sighed with a depth that implied more years than her life actually held.

"Over the summer, I overheard a conversation between Mad Eye and Dumbledore. They were theorizing about what was actually happening with the connection that you and Voldemort share, Harry. Mad Eye warned Dumbledore that he felt like the connection could be harnessed, and used as a weapon to attack you…I'm sorry that I never mentioned it Harry, but it just sort of fell out of my mind until tonight." Sirius searched Harry's face for any signs of suspicion, but there seemed to be none. Internally, he sighed. What Ginny had just told the boy was complete half-truth. She had not actually overheard anything. The conversation actually took place, with Sirius present, though. The real way that Ginny had known what was happening to Harry, was because Sirius had told her late one night what had been said between the three men, and then bounced his own theory off of her. He had always thought that it would be possible for Voldemort to try and strike out against Harry's mind through the connection. Apparently, he had been right.

"Ginny, why didn't you bloody well tell us that earlier?" Ron's face, as usual, was fast becoming bright red. Sirius wondered for a moment what it was that was causing the youngest Weasley to be so short-tempered with his sister. Had something happened, that Ginny had not yet told him about? ___Must be_, Sirius thought, _as Ginny's top lip curled up into a sneer_.

"That, dear brother, is really none of your damn business."

"What? Of course it is!"

"Actually, no. It really is ___none_of your business –"

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, you listen here, from now on, you are to tell me _everything_-"

"Are you really trying to tell me what to do, _Ronald_? Because if I were you-"

By this point, the two teens had gotten up from the table, and walked around so that they stood toe-to-toe at the opposite end of the table. Ron stared down bright-faced at the red haired girl in front of him. Even from across the room, Sirius could see that Ginny's body was thrumming with anticipation.

Things were about to get bad, fast.

"What? Are you going to sick your little boyfriend on me again? Oh Merlin, please-"

"Ron, you really want to shut-"

"No Ginny, I'm sick of this! You might still have mum and dad fooled, but I'm sick and tired of you acting like this! You've been lying, keeping secrets, _whoring _around - "

In the blink of an eye, Ginny's hand struck out, catching Ron on his lower left cheekbone. The force of the girl's hit sent him stumbling backwards, causing him to crash into the counter behind him. In a flash, he had thrown himself forward again, and grabbed his sister by the hair. Everyone (they'd all been shocked by Ginny's action) simultaneously leapt to their feet, and scrambled to the pair. Ron seemed to be unwilling to do anything worse than backhand his sister, but Ginny obviously had no such qualms. Finally free of her brother's death-grip on her long hair, she spun around, with her hands curled around his offending arm. Suddenly, she threw her torso forward, and rolled her brother's body over her back with the momentum of the move. He flipped forward, and landed with a heavy thump on his back. It knocked the air out of him, and Ginny took advantage of the distraction. He rolled over onto his stomach, and crawled up onto his knees, placing a hand on the edge of the table. Ginny, whose lip was bleeding from a hard slap that Ron had administered to her mouth, stalked forward towards him. Sirius pushed past the teens that were all crowded around the scene. Everyone seemed to be too mesmerized to actually do anything to stop the escalating fight. By this time, Sirius stood directly behind Ginny, but he was unsure about what to do.

"Ron, I will say this one time, and one time only. I am sick of you, and your opinion of me. Until you can finally see me for who I truly am, I refuse to acknowledge you as my brother anymore. You seem to think nothing but the worst of me, and for that, I am beginning to hate you. Stay away from me Ronald, before you make me do something that I might truly regret."

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

The next day, the sharp, vaguely noxious smell of fresh antiseptic stung Ginny's nostrils. She sat in one of the standard hard plastic chairs that are found in most waiting rooms. She was in St. Mungo's third floor corridor, seated in front of her father's room. The attack on Harry's mind the night before had warned him about the peril that her father was in. Somehow, when Voldemort had entered the boy's mind, he had inadvertently shared his own thoughts. This was how Order members had been able to locate her father mere moments after the attack had taken place. Arthur Weasley had been on guard duty for the Order, which made him a target for Voldemort's pet snake's attack. Ginny knew from her talks with Sirius what was being guarded, and even the reason why. Neither of them agreed with Dumbledore's decision to leave Harry in the dark about Voldemort's true reason's for pursuing him, but Sirius had taken a wizard's vow to the old man.

Ginny sighed, and slumped in her chair. She was exhausted, body and mind. The past few weeks had been absolutely insane. The PA had grown to an astonishing enlistment of over three-hundred. It was great, really, except for the fact that it had become nearly impossible to find a time and place adequate enough to suit that many students. Another negative about having such a large following meant that betrayal was a much more pressing issue, as was getting caught. And getting caught was really not something that she was looking forward to. Although her and Sirius had both extensively researched the laws and bylaws of Hogwarts and the Ministry alike, and had not found a single clause that forbade what she was doing with the Phoenix Army, she knew in her heart that if the wrong person discovered her operation, then she would hang for it. Figuratively hang, of course. Literally, she would probably be thrown in Azkaban until, if and when, Voldemort finally fell. And although the very thought of the repercussions of her actions made her blood run cold, she was prepared to hang for it.

What she was doing was right, and she knew it. To her, the PA was very much like her relationship with Sirius. It was a bit dark, and not entirely legal, but it was also the most right thing that she had ever done in her life, and she was committed to it. Ginny was ready to die for it, even. So every week that she was at school, twice a week even, she found a time and place for over three hundred students to meet in secret. When she addressed her recruits, she put a threat in her voice that carried no room for betrayal. The PA was not for fun, it was the real deal. She went through these motions with the same dedication that she put into keeping her relationship with Sirius strong. Ginny had faced Tom Riddle, and unlike most wizards, she knew what he was capable of. War was fast approaching, this attack on her father had made that very clear to her, and every day could be anyone's last. Ginny was not afraid to die, and she was not afraid of being discovered. All that she cared about anymore was the Army, and Sirius. If tomorrow brought with it her death, as long as Sirius knew how she felt towards him, and the Army was prepared for war, then she would die a happy little witch.

Ginny was snapped out of her thoughts by an irritated looking Molly Weasley walking out of the door to her father's room. As her mother spotted her, the older woman's frown grew, and the crease between her eyes deepened. Ginny knew that her mother recognized the changes that were happening to her. Ginny had morphed from the innocent, happy little girl that she had once been, to the hardened, angry teenager that she was now, before her mother's very eyes. When Ginny looked in the mirror anymore, all that she saw was the coldness in her eyes, and the sharp lines of her face. She knew, with every unhappy sigh and scowl that her mother sent her way, that those were all that she saw, too. They both knew, Ginny was not sweet anymore, and she was certainly not innocent.

"Hey mum," she said, her voice quiet. "How's dad?" She tried and failed to fake a smile. Pretending to be her old self was becoming extremely hard.

"How do you think?" Her mother's voice was sharp, and cold. The tone made Ginny blink for a moment; she had scarcely ever heard Molly Weasley address anyone like that, especially not her only daughter. "He was attacked by You-Know-Who's pet, for Merlin's sakes! How would you expect for him to be, Ginevra?" Ginny sighed, leaning back further in chair and folding her hands behind her head. "Voldemort, mum. His name is Voldemort." Her mother's mouth opened in shock, and her eyes showed too much white. "What?" Her voice was breathy with fear. Ginny narrowed her eyes, and planted both of her feet on the white tile floor with a dull 'thud'. "I said, that his name in Voldemort. By fearing his name, you are only giving him power-"

In a flash, her mother had crossed the distance of the narrow hallway and slapped a chubby had across her face. Ginny sat there, face stinging and tears welling in her eyes. Her mother's face was frozen in horror as shock danced in her light eyes. Suddenly, the door behind them opened again, and Bill Weasley walked out. "Hey mum-" Words froze in his throat, as his eyes landed on his sister's reddening cheek. He looked between Ginny and their mother. It was obvious that he had no idea how to handle the situation. Abruptly, Ginny stood, and began walking down the hall. A choked sob escaped her mother as Ginny turned around the corner, and headed for the exit.

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

Two nights later, Ginny pulled Sirius's arm tighter around her stomach. His soft breathing told her that he was caught in a deep sleep. When he had nightmares, he breathing was choked, just as when his sleep was fitful, he snored. Ginny smiled, and cuddled closer to his body. Tonight was one of the rarer nights, when they not only had a chance to be together, but to actually sleep together as well. Ginny loved the feel of his body next to hers, in his oversized bed with the plush black comforter and silken sheets. Beneath the covers, the tall man wore only a pair of dark red pajama bottoms. Ginny stared at his exposed chest, as she traced a finger over the various tattoos that ornamented it. Ginny loved the story that the pictures on his skin told; she also loved the hardness beneath them. Once again, she felt a smile bloom across her face as she rested on one of his shoulders and closed her eyes. It was well past three in the morning. Her mother had elected to stay the night at the hospital with her father.

Ginny had not seen nor spoken to the woman since the incident between them in the hospital. She was beginning to feel like she was losing her family. Simultaneously though, she wasn't sure if she even cared anymore. After the Chamber, she wasn't Ginny anymore - not their Ginny, at least. She was still pretty close to Fred and George, but she'd become almost unrecognizable to the rest of her family if any of them happened to look too closely at her. Because of this, she had tried to blend into the walls around her own family, just so that they didn't have to see what she had actually become. Lately though, she had found it harder and harder to blend in anymore. Sirius had showed her that even though she wasn't innocent anymore, she was still alive.

Sirius shifted in his sleep, turning his hips towards hers, so that they were touching in a very intimate way. The contact made Ginny moan, which encouraged him in his still sleep ridden state. Ginny moaned again softly, and ground her hips deeper against his, as she mashed her teeth against the flesh of his exposed neck. Finally, his eyes fluttered open, as he began planting wet kisses along her collarbone. His fingers began fumbling with the side of her underwear, as Ginny threw a pale leg over his hip. With surprising speed, Sirius was suddenly on top of Ginny, driving himself into her. She squeaked a small, surprised sound, which broke off into a deep moan. Their hips moved together. Sirius pinned Ginny's wrists over her head against the pillows, as his other hand worked one of her breasts. Their breath was now coming in ragged bursts. Ginny was almost there, and judging by the trembling of the man's body above her, so was he.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened. Gasps, and startled cries, as a glow coming from the tip of a wand bathed the dark room in light. Sirius rolled off of her, and onto the floor his right hand snaking his discarded pants from the foot of the bed, as Ginny threw the large comforter over her body. Her hand went for her own wand, she cast a silent, "_Lumos_," Ginny almost laughed when she realized who had finally discovered them.

"Oh balls...Sirius, get your bloody pants on. Harry, please close the door, before anyone else walks in."

The dark haired boy's face was so red that it practically glowed. He quickly turned around and did what Ginny had asked. While he was turned, Ginny took a moment to throw the shirt on that the now pants-wearing Sirius offered her. Quickly, she checked to make sure that none of her lower body was peeking out from beneath the covers, before Harry turned back around.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Harry," he said. "You can, erm, turn around now, mate." Once again, Harry obliged. He stood there, unsure of what to do. His eyes kept darting around the room. Really, the situation would have been hilarious to Ginny and Sirius, if it hadn't been them, and if it hadn't been Harry that it was happening to.

"So," his voice was pitched higher than usual. "You guys are, um, together, then?"

Ginny glanced at Sirius, who then glanced at Harry. Silently, they agreed, before Sirius spoke. "Yeah, we, uh, we are." Silence again. On the bed, Ginny glanced back and forth between godfather and godson. She knew that Sirius was panicking. Harry's opinion was the only one that mattered to him, and this was defiantly not the way that he would have envisioned him finding out about their relationship. Harry didn't really look upset though. Surprised, defiantly. Embarrassed? More than a bit. Silence again, before Ginny finally sighed, deciding to do something.

"Harry, why don't you take a seat? I think that there are some things that need hashed out, here."

******xxXxxXxxXxx**

"So, let me get this all straight." Harry's brow was creased, as he ran a hand nervously through his messy hair. Ginny smiled at the gesture, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm the chosen one –"

"Yup." Ginny nodded, as she took a drag off of one of Sirius's muggle cigarettes. It was the only habit of his that she didn't really condone, but now here she was indulging in it too. He was right; it really did help when you were upset.

"But he (here, he pointed to Sirius) can't - couldn't - tell me about it, because Dumbledore made him take a wizard's vow."

Ginny nodded, with a glance at the apprehensive looking Sirius.

"And this - this prophecy...it's the reason why my mum and dad were killed, and why Voldemort's been after me for so long."

"That's it, exactly." Ginny stubbed out her cigarette in the small glass ashtray she had balanced on her knee.

"And the Thompson brother's…their actually you, my dad, and Remus - from the past?" This question was directed at Sirius, who shrugged, biting into an apple. Ginny snorted. The man ate more than anyone she had ever seen before. And really, with her set of brothers, that was saying something.

"Apparently." Sirius said, between bites. "I, myself, only found out two days ago."

Once again, Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait," he said, "How is that even possible? Shouldn't you, ya know, remember, or something?" Ginny nodded slightly. Her and Sirius had already talked about this.

"'Or something', is right," Sirius said. "We think that before they leave to go back to their time, they must have some sort of memory charm put over them." Ginny lamented Sirius's words.

"But it's defiantly them though, right?" The hopeful look on the boy's face made Ginny's heart ache. No, she didn't 'like him', and she certainly didn't love the boy, but she did care for him. Harry Potter had saved her from Tom Riddle for Merlin's sakes! She would never feel badly towards him, couldn't if she tried. Besides, over the years of him staying with her family at the Burrow, Ginny had come to consider him as just another one of her brothers. One that she actually liked though - more like George, or Fred, instead of Ron, or Percy.

"Yes, Harry," Sirius said, in a thick voice. "This is your chance."

Harry nodded with hooded eyes. Ginny pretended not to notice, as a few wet tears rolled down his cheeks. Sirius walked over to his godson, pulled him into a tight hug. The two men stayed like this for almost a solid minute. Ginny knew that something important was passing between them, so she stayed silent. Finally, the two broke apart; Harry grinned at his godfather, as Sirius mussed his already messy hair. He glanced at Ginny, and a frown crossed his face, before it was replaced by a bright grin.

"Ya know Gin, happy as I am to know that you aren't interested in me anymore, I'm just not sure how I feel about you being my godmother…" Ginny's mouth fell open, as Sirius howled with laughter. Harry grinned, dodging the pillow aimed for his face. "Harry James Potter, you little git!"

"Look you guys, I just want to let you know that I'm really happy for the two of you. Sirius, you really deserve to be happy, and Ginny, so do you. I mean, I'm sure that some people wouldn't like it - Merlin's balls, never let your mum find out! - but really, I think that it's bloody fantastic!"

Harry grinned at the two people before him. Sirius stood in front of him slightly, while Ginny was still seated cross-legged under the blanket. He really did seem to be happy for them; Ginny grinned back at him. She had never really thought that anyone would support this relationship that she and Sirius had cultivated; she had been prepared for rejection, too. Finding approval from someone (especially Sirius's godson) was unexpected, to say the least. A thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Harry?" She said his name as a question.

"Yeah, Gin?" Harry raised his eyebrows.

"This...all of this, especially about me and Sirius...you can't tell anyone, you realize." Ginny leveled the boy with her best threatening gaze. Harry smiled at her, ignoring the threat.

"I know, Gin. Really, I'm just happy to be in on the secret for once."

**xxXxxXxxXxx**

A/N: Whew! That was a helluva chapter to get down. Love it, like it? Hate it? Review, review, review pleaaaase =)


	6. Chapter Five

**DISCLAIMER**: I own nothing! Nada, zip, zilch! Everything Harry Potter belongs to Missus J. K. Rowling. If it were mine, then I would own my house.

**A/N:** Pretty sure that this chapter is going to prove to be the longest one yet. I'm going into this one sort of blind. Like, I know what is _going_ to happen…I'm just not too sure about _how_ it's going to happen yet. Just to warn all of my amazing readers, if I do end up going with the course of action that I'm thinking of right now, then this story is about to become very, _very_ **AU**. But again, not sure yet. Writing this story has become very intense in these past two chapters; I sort of feel like I need a cigarette and a stiff drink for every page. Hell - - every paragraph, even =)

DimFishLovesParamore.: On the Sirius/death front…I can't really say much without ruining it all, but know this; I FRIGGEN LOVE SIRIUS! When I read OotP for the first time yeeears ago, at the end of the Department of Mysteries scene, I cried as I stabbed the cover of my book repeatedly. My coping with his death? Never happened. So yeah…keep that in mind as you wait and see… Also, in regards to young Sirius vs. old Sirius; nothing other than a platonic friendship is probably going to happen there. Young Sirius just hasn't been through enough yet to be at Ginny's level, and really Ginny's BS tolerance is just a bit too low to be with a young Marauder before they'd been humbled a bit.

ALSO: I wanted to answer all of your questions here, HOWEVER…my stupid internet hasn't been working properly. This is one of the many reasons why I haven't updated in a minute. So here it is, please enjoy

**Chapter Five: Heartbreak, Midnight Encounters, and Plan A**

AT A QUARTER to five in the morning following Christmas day, the door to the room that Ginny shared with Hermione at Grimmauld Place swung open. Sirius Black walked in silently, with a small parcel clutched in his hand. Stooping over the red haired girl's bed, he studied her for a moment. She had pushed the blankets off of the mattress; they lay bunched up in a ball. Sirius knelt by her side, and laid a soft kiss on her forehead. "Sorry I couldn't give your present proper yesterday, luv…" Carefully, he slipped the small red box beneath her pillow. Ginny's arms were thrown up over her head; the white t-shirt shirt she wore had ridden up to her ribs, exposing the tight flesh of her stomach. Sirius ran fingertips across the area, making her wiggle in her sleep. He smiled, and stood up. Grabbing her discarded blankets, he took a moment to spread them out over her.

One more kiss, this time to her lips, before he was gone once again.

**xxXxx**

HOURS LATER, GINNY'S eyes flew open. She had been dreaming about a boy with dark eyes, and a terrible smile. Tom Riddle had been gone for years, but he still haunted Ginny's dreams, more often than not. She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the familiar visions, before turning over. Her hand snaked its way beneath her pillow, seeking out the cooler side; it was a familiar habit. What was strange, however, was the object that her fingertips found. Her eyes reopened, and she frowned. Closing her hand around the object, she sat up, and realized that someone had put a small Christmas present beneath her pillow. The box that she held clutched in her hand was square, and flat. It was decorated in bright red paper, with silver pinstripes and a matching silver bow on top. She sat up straighter, and removed the carefully placed lid. As her eyes landed on the box's contents, a gasp escaped her lips; she was looking at the most beautiful necklace that she had ever seen. It was silver, and in the shape of a Phoenix. The bird had been portrayed mid-flight; its wings were outstretched, and its head held high. The bird's eyes were made of small, enchanted rubies; every time the light hit their surfaces, they churned with fire. Beneath the eyes, were small tracks made of diamond fragments; it was a crying Phoenix. Quickly, she fumbled with the delicate chain's clasp, sliding the coolness of it around her neck. Ginny absolutely loved the necklace; the appropriateness of the gift didn't at all escape her.

With a joyful grin on her face, she rolled out of bed and began rummaging around in her trunk for something to wear. She pulled on the first clean pair of jeans and socks that she found;

Her shirt however, she chose a bit more carefully. The garment was black, and silken; it was tight at her ribs, but flared at her hips. The shirt had a slight V at the neck, but showed little skin, making it look more casual than anything else. She glanced in the mirror, as she fixed her hair with her wand. The top was one of Sirius's favorites, and she had chosen it for that reason; it was tasteful, but still appealing. She smiled at herself in the bedroom's mirror, as she put a lock of fallen hair back into place behind her ear. The tightness of her jeans, coupled with the contrast of her shirt against the paleness of her skin, and the arch of her brows, helped make the effect. _The silver Phoenix around her neck really made the look though_, she reflected as she walked out of the room.

Ginny traveled quietly down the many flights of stairs in the house; years of eavesdropping on her own staircase at the Burrow had trained her to keep her feet light, and her ears perked. Today, this habit proved its worth. Silently, she crouched at the top of the second floor landing, and looked down at the floor below her. She could just see her mother's back in the doorway to the foyer. The homely woman was speaking in a low tone, but still, her voice carried a shrill edge. Ginny rolled her eyes, and ran a hand over her face. She knew just from her mother's voice that she was arguing with her father; Molly Weasley never sounded so angry, as when Arthur didn't share the same views with her.

"…Arthur, you have to listen to me! Ginny _has_ changed! She is not our little girl anymore; she is- well, to be honest, I'm not quite sure what she is anymore."

"Molly, I dare say that you are overreacting here. Just because Ginny hasn't been acting like her normal self lately-"

"No Arthur; you're wrong! It isn't that Ginny hasn't been acting like herself _lately_. She hasn't been 'herself' in bloody years!"

"Molly –"

"No Arthur, you know that I'm right!"

"Molly, for the love of Merlin! I don't know what to think about her anymore, alright? In the Ministry-" Her father's voice quivered, causing Ginny to suck in a breath waiting for his next words. "There have been…rumors. Whispers, in the Department. Apparently, in Umbridge's last report from Hogwarts, she told of a secret organization forming in the school." Molly gasped softly, as on the stairs, Ginny's heart stopped. _This was it_, she thought frantically. _Now her parents knew!_

"A secret organization? Arthur, what does that mean? Has Voldemort finally gained a foothold within the school?" Ginny strained her ears; inside the foyer, a chair scraped against the floor, as her parents sat down at the small tea table near the fireplace. A heavy sigh escaped from her father; Ginny could practically see him running a hand across his lined face.

"It's not Voldemort, Molly. It is an organization for the light, allegedly." Ginny waited. There was more to it than just that, she could tell by her father's tone.

"Why, that's wonderful! That's….hold on. Arthur, what does this have to do with Ginny?" Silence rang loud in the foyer. Ginny could hear the pulse in her ears, and could feel her palms begin to sweat.

"No," her mother said, disbelief thick in her voice. "That isn't possible Arthur! Ginny could never…she can't…not after the chamber…" Back on the landing, Ginny clenched her fists. Of course that would be the way her mother would react.

"Now Molly, calm down. Firstly, these were only circulating rumors, not fact. And secondly, if Ginny is in fact the leader of some underground student rebellion, don't you believe that we would have gotten wind of it before now?" Silence once again, before chair legs once again scraped against the floor.

"No Arthur," her mother's voice was closer now than it had been before. Ginny began backing away from the stairs; she needed to disappear, in case her mother headed her way. "I do not think that we would have heard about it before now. If there is one thing that our daughter has showed me, it is that she flourishes at hiding things from her family."

**xxXxx**

"SO, ONE PLAN just won't do it then."

Fred Weasley slumped, leaning against a dark wooden paneled wall; his tall stature caused his head to brush against the room's low ceiling when he wasn't careful. Fred, George, Ginny, Sirius (young), James, Remus (also young), and Harry were all congregated in Grimmauld Place's small, dank attic. There was no furniture in the space, only hay, wooden crates with unintelligible contents, and of course, Buckbeak, the felon Hippogriff.

"Correct, brother dear. We need a few different plans to fall back on. There are so many different scenarios of badness that could happen, we need to be prepared for more than one attack." Ginny nibbled at the side of a cuticle, and looked around at the group. These were the people that she trusted the most. Ron and Hermione were absent for a reason; since the confrontation with her brother, neither her brother nor his almost-girlfriend had said a single word to her. That was fine with Ginny though; now she knew where everyone stood.

"Where should we start, then?" James Potter spoke with a glance at his future-son's face; Harry returned the look with a small smile. The action showed Ginny how close the two had gotten in the past few days. _What an amazing opportunity it must be_, she mused, with a small smile at the father and son. _To_ _finally know someone who had been lost forever_…

Ginny took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. She thought for a moment, about all of the various concerns, possibilities, and eventualities that had been playing through her mind since she first started the PA. What were the real threats? Who could actually hurt them? Hurt her?

Ginny was tired. After stumbling across her parent's conversation earlier that afternoon, a plan had begun to form in her head. Obviously, the PA would not stay hidden forever. They needed to prepare for absolutely anything, and Ginny needed to know that if something happened to her, there would be others to lead the Army. She and Umbridge had started the year off on a less than desirable note, and things between them had only gotten worse. Word that Ginny had known what incantation to use on Harry would have spread between then professors by now, she could feel that something bad was going to happen…

She yanked fingers through her hair and scowled. Who would be best suited to replace her within the PA? Fred and George didn't want to be at Hogwarts this year anymore than she did, so they certainly weren't the best candidates. She trusted the Marauders completely, but she just didn't feel like they were experienced enough yet. Of course they were all destined to become great wizards, but they still had years ahead of them that would shape that greatness. Hermione was angry with her because of her brother, Ron was an idiot, Neville just didn't have the stones, and Luna was completely starker's. _Looking at it like that, _Ginny thought with a small shrug. _That only left one possibility_…

"So Harry, you'll be plan A." Harry's eyebrows shot up at her sudden words.

"Um, pardon?" Ginny rubbed the palms of her hands along the thighs of her jeans, and shook her head. "Harry," she said, throwing a sharp look at the boy.

"Now is really not the time to be bashful, alright? You're the most experienced wizard in this room; we all know it. I started the PA because I had the idea. No matter what happens to me that idea will still be there. I just-" Ginny's voice broke, as her emotions threatened to overtake her. No, she did not fear what would happen to her if Umbridge discovered her affiliation to the PA. However, she was nervous, and more than that, saddened. Tom Riddle had destroyed so much; he had taken her - - body and mind - - and made her into someone that not even her parents recognized. Of course, Ginny liked the person that she was. She was an excellent witch, and a good leader. But still…what if she had never found the diary? Would she still be the starry eyed little girl mooning over Harry Potter? Or would she have still, some way or another, become the young woman that she was today? There was no way of knowing, and Ginny knew in her mind that the 'what if's' in life were what got you in the most trouble. However, sometimes, she still mourned for the woman that she might have been if only she had never written those first few words in the diary…

"Ginny, I…" Harry seemed to be at a loss for words. Silence screamed in the room, until Ginny finally couldn't stand it any longer. She stood, and felt all eyes turn to her. She was tired of always being the leader, but she had built herself into a position where there was no quitting. She needed for this war to be over, before she really did go starker's.

She shook her head, and began walking towards the door. Tears had begun to well in her eyes; she needed to get out of the attic. There was only one person that she let herself cry to anymore. She needed to find Sirius - - her Sirius. There were too many thoughts fighting for attention in her mind. She needed to talk to him, and figure out just what exactly the rest of the plans were going to be. Harry was going to be plan A, which eased her mind a bit. The Army would be taken care of if anything happened to her. That meant that now she just needed to figure out what her own failsafe would be, and what she would do with the PA when there was a battle.

"Harry," she called over her shoulder, as her hand clutched the brass door handle. "We'll talk more later."

**xxXxx**

FORKS SCRAPED AGAINST china, as the Weasley's, their company, and other Order members crammed around the long oak table in Grimmauld Place's underground kitchen. The place had been packed for weeks now. To Sirius Black, it seemed as though the miserable barrenness of winter had egged Voldemort on. Attacks were now raining down on both muggles and muggle-bourns alike, and since Fudge's incapacitation, the only wizards fighting against the dark were Order members. The entire Order had been working around the clock trying to prevent future attacks, and stop those that were already in motion. No bodies had been lost yet, but really, it was a war that was being fought, so it was only a matter of time. 

Sirius sighed, and took a long swig off his glass of Firewhiskey. Not everyone had been out there fighting; Dumbledore had ordered him to stay hidden, out of sight and out of mind. He had been holed up in his parents' home for months now, and the insanity that he had spent so many years fighting off in Azkaban had began to return. He could feel the faintest threads of madness ebbing at his mind; the signs were small, but still present. It was a word said in an empty room, to a dead man. A smile at a joke which he not been told for years, but was still heard fresh and ringing in his ears. Insanity was waking up and catching himself readying for a day at a job that he had not worked for over thirteen years…

Insanity was Ginny Weasley.

Sirius took another long swallow of the warm liquor, and glanced at the girl seated on the other end of the table from him. She was sitting next to James - - James bloody Potter! - - or would that be, Jason? In the days since Ginny had let him in on the secret that the Thompson brothers held - - that they were actually the Marauders from the past - - Sirius had longed to speak to his best friend, to apologize…But he couldn't, because it wasn't James. Not really, at least not yet. The James that Sirius longed to speak to, to embrace, it was the defiant man who Voldemort had backed into a corner on that night, so long ago. This James was the kid who he had grown up with, who he loved like a brother, but…he couldn't bring himself to speak to him. Not while he knew that this boy and the girl that he was so in love with, were going to die because of an ill thought out decision that Sirius himself had made.

Sam - - Sirius's younger self - - was seated across from Ginny, gesturing wildly, as he regaled her with some sort of story. It was obvious to Sirius, in that moment, that the boy - - his younger self - - was just as much in love with the red haired girl as he, himself, was. It was a thin line, between love and friendship. It was easy to play, easy to pretend that you didn't feel the way that you actually felt, when the object of your affections was a friend. Sirius - - young Sirius - - played the charade well, but he could not fool himself, especially when his other self was, if not wiser, older at least. Sirius glared, as a huge grin spread across Sam's face. Quickly, Sirius's eyes flew to Ginny; he realized immediately why the younger man had been smiling. Ginny was the Marauder's game tonight; she had been obviously upset all day, but Sirius had not had a proper chance to find out what was wrong yet. Sam knew though, or at least he seemed to, because he had spent the entirety of dinner that evening trying to make her laugh. James seemed to know as well, because he was obviously in on it. Finally, they had succeeded. Sirius watched, as Ginny recovered from a fit of her bell-like laughter; he loved her laugh, always had. There was something magical about the sound - - which was made even still more magical, by the fact of how infrequently it was heard.

Sirius glared at the boy across the table from him; how strange it was, to meet your younger self. Stranger still, was how little he liked the boy. _Had he really been that much of a prick when he was younger_? He thought for a moment, as he took yet another drink off of his glass. _Yes, probably_. Sighing, he ran fingers through his long hair. Being stuck in the house that he had sworn twenty years ago to never step foot in again was bad, but being stuck there watching his younger git self try to woo his girlfriend - - the word sounded so immature and inapplicable in his mind - - was making him feel like he was toeing the edge of insanity and daring the abyss on the other side of the line to bloody push him. This was getting insane; he needed to talk to someone. The problem with that was that what was troubling his mind the most was Ginny. _And he certainly could talk to her about it… _Sirius glanced back at the girl. She looked truly stunning this evening; she was wearing the shirt that he liked, and he could just see the delicate silver chain of the necklace he had given her peaking out.

"Sirius!" He started, choking on a bite of roll, and turned to his godson. The messy haired boy sat next to him, with a mischievous grin on his face.

"W-what?" Sirius stammered, trying to figure out how long Harry had been trying to get his attention.

Suddenly, Ginny looked up from the food she had been halfheartedly pushing around her plate. Her eyes met his, and then there was that zinging, electrified, can't eat, can't sleep, all-consuming feeling that he got whenever he was near her. Merlin, he loved the girl. It made him feel like such a- well, a creeper really. But in the wizarding world, age was really just a number, especially in pure-blooded families. And as far a pure blood went, you could not get more legitimate than the Weasley's and the Black's. _That was the old way of thinking though_, Sirius reminded himself. And really, that was what bothered him more than anything else. What they were doing - - what he and Ginny had - - it really wasn't wrong by societies standpoint. Marriages between witches and wizards with the same type of age gap happened constantly in the wizarding world, but it was all about blood. If two people married for blood - - to keep the blood clean, as many put it - - then there was nothing wrong with it. Wasn't that what they were all fighting against, though? And moreover, their marriage really wouldn't have anything to do with blood, so why was he even worrying about it? They would marry because they loved each other, not - -

"Merlin's balls!" He suddenly yelled. At once, the kitchen fell silent, as all eyes landed on Sirius. He swallowed nervously, as he realized that he had voiced his panic. Loudly, and inappropriately, at that. _Had he really just been thinking about marrying Ginny?_ _That's it_, he decided as he quickly excused himself from the table. _Forget toeing the edge, he had just jumped into the bloody abyss!_

**xxXxx**

THAT NIGHT, GINNY went to Sirius; it was the last night of the holiday, after all. She had planned it all evening. She would go to him, and she would tell him everything. She would lay all of her worries, all of her fears, her dreams, and her thoughts at his feet. She would lay herself bare before him, as she had done so many times before, and she would leave herself venerable for him to examine. The only thing that mattered to her was what he thought, and his opinion. She was so worried, so terribly fearful. For him, for the Army. She worried about her parents, her friends, her brothers. There was so much fear bubbling up inside of her; it was all fear of the unknown. She was worried about him, after his strange outburst at dinner, but she never had enough sense to fear what was actually happening to her and to him.

"Sirius?" Ginny called softly, as his bedroom door clicked shut behind her. There was no reply. _Maybe he's asleep already_, she though with a small frown. Her bare feet were silent as she moved across the wooden floors, she had memorized every inch of the distance between her bedroom and his. She knew how many steps there were (thirty-four), just as she knew which of the floor boards creaked (three in the hall on the right, two before his door, and one at the foot of his bed). Ginny knew every inch of Sirius's room, and every inch of his body. She loved the man, loved every part of him. In her mind, she was his, as he was hers. By this point in time, she couldn't really say what had changed between them, or when. She just knew that somewhere along the line they had gone from being someone for each other, to being everything to each other.

Of course, this was Ginny. She only knew what she knew, how she felt, and what she perceived.

"Sirius?" She said again, as she crawled onto his bed. He was there, lying above the covers. He still had on the same worn jeans and black button down shirt that he had worn all day. This was a bit strange for Ginny, since she knew how much he valued being comfortable. He loved pajamas more than any other attire. For him to still be fully dressed at two o'clock in the morning, something had to be wrong.

"Sirius?" Finally he turned his head, as she came to rest beside him. Her legs were tucked under her ass. She wore jogging shorts, and a tight red tee-shirt. Her thighs were cold where there were exposed; she rubbed her palms against them absentmindedly for warmth. In the dark, she could not see his face, but she could still feel the weight of his gaze. "What's wrong?" Her voice was small, and uncertain. She mentally cursed at the tone; she hated sounding that weak, that venerable. But something was wrong, she knew it.

"Ginny, you should go back to your room." Of all the things that Ginny expected to hear come out of Sirius's mouth that was the furthest thing from it. "W-what?" She felt the bed shift, as Sirius sat up and propped himself up on his elbows. She was colder now, and she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. "I'm not going to do this anymore, Gin. I don't want for us to keep seeing each other, and I don't want to be with you anymore. Please, go back to your room, luv." The tone of his voice, more than the words themselves, made Ginny's heart feel as though a knife had just stabbed through it. For a moment, she couldn't think, couldn't even breathe. _What happened?_ She though dimly. _What had she done wrong?_

"Sirius, I-I don't understand." Desperately, she tried to make her voice level, even. She didn't want for him to hear the hurt that she was feeling. Obviously, she had given him enough already.

"Ginny, you're just a kid! I can't be with you, don't you see? I need to find someone my own age, someone who's at least already graduated, for Merlin's sakes!" Ginny reeled back as though struck. "Sirius, I love you. Why isn't that enough?" The man sighed, and she could just barely make out the outline of his hand going up to run through his hair. She strained her eyes, trying to see the gesture, because suddenly, she wasn't sure that she would ever be seeing it again.

"Ginny, it just isn't enough anymore." Silence. Hot, wet lines of tears ran freely down Ginny's pale cheeks. She was glad now, for the darkness of the room, and Sirius's coldness. She didn't understand what had happened, didn't know how to fix it. He had said it himself, after all. _It just isn't enough… _She had given him everything, every part of herself. He knew all of it, but still, here they were. Once again, she was the starry-eyed eleven year old, pouring her heart out to a boy who really didn't care. She was the fool once more, and she hated herself for it. Suddenly, a sneer cut across her face. She willed the tears away, at least for the moment. There would be more time for that, later. She swiped at the wetness on her cheeks violently, before leaning in and wrapping her hands in Sirius's hair. She brought her face to his, and used her mouth on his to convey the hurt, the confusion, and the anger. Words couldn't have said what her lips told him; when it was over, she released him suddenly, making him fall back onto the pillows behind him.

A small crack of dim light entered the room, as her silhouette slipped through the small space. She didn't look back, and she didn't utter a single word. In that moment, Ginny probably couldn't remember how to speak if she tried. She felt like she had just lost a part of herself. How could she speak, how could she function at all, walking around without a heart? She didn't know the answer to that, and really, she didn't think there was one.

**xxXxx**

THE NEXT MORNING, as everyone was saying their goodbyes to the various Order members and Weasley's in Grimmauld Place, Ginny was silent. She stood as close to the large wooden door in the headquarters' darkened entrance hall as she could manage. Her long red hair was down, falling in mussed waves down her back. Locks off it framed her face, while others obscured it from sight. Despite the darkness of the house, she wore thick black sunglasses, hiding the wet redness of her eyes from sight. Sure, she looked like she was trying to be 'dark' - - as Molly Weasley had pointed out in a huff - - but it was still better than having to explain to everyone why she had been awake all night crying. Her face was free off makeup and her neck was free of the Phoenix pendant that had previously adorned it. She also wore some of the plainest clothes that she owned. Her jeans weren't tight or loose; they just shaped her body in a good fit. They were an older pair, with the knees blown out, and various patches covering an array of holes in the material. Her shirt was light green, with a large black 'W' on the front. Her trainers were plain black, with red striped shoelaces. They were the pair she had worn for the past few years, not her newer ones. For a jacket, she wore an oversized Weird Sister's jumper from Tonks. It was black, with a picture off the sister's on the back.

Ginny's outfit was plain, which was exactly what she was going for. She wasn't trying to look any certain way. She wasn't dressed like a scarlet woman to try and piss her mother off, or to try and undercut Umbridge's authority. She was just like any other witch today. Her heart was broken, and her feelings were used. Today, she wasn't the leader of a secret rebellion of the light, nor was she a defiant little trollop. Today she wasn't anyone, and she wasn't anything, and that was exactly how she wanted it.

"Ginny?" Remus Lupin stood before her, calling her name. How long had she been standing there, thinking about nothing? She wasn't sure. "Yeah?" she said. At least she could control herself enough so that her voice didn't break. "I just wanted to tell you that it's been nice having your company here these past few days. I always enjoy speaking with you, and I know that your company really helps Sirius, too…"

Ginny felt her eye twitch. Was he joking? No, he couldn't have known. Sirius hadn't told anyone, neither of them had. Well, except for Harry…

"…and when I was at Hogwarts, you were one of my favorite students. You always showed a certain flare for Defense that most people, well, they just never develop it." Ginny felt herself almost smile. "You were always my favorite teacher too, Remus. And thanks." The man smiled at her, before excusing himself. Once again, Ginny was alone tucked away by the door. She watched the 'Thompson's' say their goodbyes to everyone, watched as Hermione gave her mother a tearful hug. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Harry approaching her, with Sirius following. Behind them, her father was herding the other students towards the hall.

Ginny cursed under her breath, as Harry and his godfather reached her. Harry's eyebrows furrowed, and Sirius wore an unreadable expression on his face. Ginny could barley bring herself to look at him; she felt humiliated, and small.

"Hey Gin," Harry said, smiling lightly. "You about ready to head back?"

Ginny nodded airily, her eyes focused on the boy in front of her. "More than…"

Behind Harry, Sirius frowned. Did he not expect for her to be upset? She couldn't see how, but by how he was acting, it did seem to be the case. _The prick!_ She thought furiously. "Uh, Ginny," he said quietly. Behind the dark lenses of her gasses, she glared at the man. "I think that we should talk before you go." At this, her jaw set. "No." Confusion clouded Harry's face, as he looked between his godfather and her. Obviously, he was ignorant to the situation. ""C'mon Gin, I-" Ginny shook her head, and sneered. "I'm not interested, alright? You said everything that you needed to last night."

Ignoring the hurt look in his eyes, she turned, and gripped the door handle. Without a backward look, she walked out the door, and headed towards the small group that was already waiting to take them back to Hogwarts. Much like Sirius had done so many years ago, as Ginny left number twelve, she vowed to herself that she would never again return to that house. She didn't want to remember what had happened there, or what she had lost. She couldn't face Sirius again, not after what he had done to her. _It just isn't enough anymore_, he had said. No, she thought to herself, and she furiously wiped at a tear that had slipped down her cheek. It really wasn't enough anymore, she could see that now.

**xxXxx**

TO SAY THAT Remus Lupin was stunned, when his last remaining friend confessed to having an illicit affair with a witch who was only one-third his own age, would be an immense understatement. The fact that this witch was the youngest, and only, daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley wasn't nearly as shocking of a revelation, but the news was still surprising all the same. Apparently their relationship had been going on since the end of the summer; it made sense, in a way. When Sirius had escaped from Azkaban, nothing had changed for the man, not really anyway. He was still an outcast, still alone. In retrospect, Remus could see that the only relationship that Sirius had acquired since leaving the prison was the tentative one between him and his godson. And Merlin knew, James's boy wasn't the best conversationalist ever. Remus could see now that his best friend was not only lonely, but also alone. Remus had not exactly gone out on a limb to get their friendship back to where it had been all of those years ago, he understood that now. Remus understood exactly what his best friend had been thinking, but still, it was not the easiest news to take in.

"What the bleedin' hell were you thinking man!" Remus's voice was higher than usual, as he paced around Sirius's childhood room. As he spoke, he threw his arms around theatrically. The small room was lit only by a few rays of light coming from the partially open drapes. Remus's feet had memorized a pattern through the room; around the chair, in front of the dresser, past the bed, over the rug, over the random stacks of books scattered across the floor, and back towards the window. Sirius watched, still and solemn faced, from his perch on the edge of his four-poster bed. He had confessed everything; every feeling, every encounter, every thought. He had poured his heart out to the man, literally. Now as he sat, he felt, calmer than he had, well, ever. It was an odd sense of emptiness, as though now that everything was out, nothing was left.

"I- I'm not sure, Mooney." His voice even sounded empty to his own ears. What was wrong with him? Sirius shook his head, and ran a hand over the stubble on his face. Remus continued to pace; the motion was beginning to make Sirius feel ill. "Mooney, could you stop that please? You're really not improving the state of the floor any, ya know."

The other man snorted, as he came to a sudden halt and perched himself on the dresser next to the bed. "And since when, Padfoot, have you concerned yourself with the state of the floors in this pit?"

Sirius yawned, and shrugged. "Good point, I suppose."

"So, you broke it off?" Sirius froze, and finally nodded. "Good. I mean, that is good, isn't it?" Remus seemed uncertain. The affair had initially sounded insane to him, but now, seeing how Sirius was acting, maybe ending it wasn't what he needed. Sirius's eyes glazed, as he lay back on the bed. "I'm really not sure, mate. I'm not sure about anything anymore."

**xxXxx**

THE FIRST FEW days back at Hogwarts killed Ginny on the inside. She didn't eat, she couldn't sleep. All that she could think about was what had happened, what had gone wrong. She didn't know, couldn't pinpoint it. She hadn't told anyone what had happened yet, because really, she didn't know. Harry and the Marauders knew that there was something wrong with her, but no one had asked. They all seemed to sense that whatever was wrong with her, it was bad. They were giving her space, and trusting that she would tell them whenever she could. She appreciated the space, because she really did need it. Classes were really all that were getting her through the days. Everything about this time, felt so much like what things had been like in the months following the Chamber. She threw herself into her studies all that she could, and she also made bigger and grander plans for the PA - - what they could do, what they could be. In the deep ours of the night, she had taken to going to walks around the castle and through the grounds. A few times, she had even strayed into the Forest. She knew that she was being careless - - so careless! - - but she honestly couldn't bring herself to care. She was lost, drowning in this overwhelming feeling of loss.

She didn't know how to fix it, just like she didn't know how to fix them.

Late one night, two weeks into the new term, Ginny was walking the path to the astronomy tower. She didn't know what it was, but she had woken up from just a few short hours of sleep, with the sudden compulsion to go to the tower. There was a feeling screaming inside of her, making her feel like the Astronomy Tower was simply, just the place to be that night. So she put a jumper over her bra and black pajama pants, stuck her feet into trainers, and grabbed her wand. A few minutes later, her legs had carried her to the tower. Now she stood on the upmost deck, where most classes went to look at the skies. She was at least two-hundred feet above the ground here. As that thought processed through her mind; she suddenly had the urge to climb into the stone wall of the landing. The wall was no more than three feet high; easily, she jumped up onto it. Shakily, she stood. Ginny straightened her back, and raised herself to her full height. Taking in a breath, she raised her arms out to her sides. Closing her eyes, she relished in the feel of the icy cold wind biting at her face, and knowledge that in front of her was a very, very long fall. Standing there like that, Ginny could almost forget about the war, the PA, the boy with the snake-like eyes, and the man that had used her heart. The feeling was infinite, and for a moment, it brought her peace.

"Planning on jumping, Weaslyette?" It was the cold voice of Draco Malfoy, interrupting her thoughts and robbing her of the first peace she had achieved in weeks. She sighed, and lowered her arms. Opening her eyes, she turned her head and looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, there was the Malfoy protégé in impeccable three-hundred gallon robes and his trademark sneer. "Actually, no. Planning on pushing me?" The dark landing between them was lit by nothing but the light of the stars and moon. She could barely make out his face, but for a moment, she thought she saw the ghost of a smile. Then it was gone, just as quickly as it had come, making her think that it had never been there to begin with.

"Actually, no. Unless you want me to, that is." Carefully, Ginny turned around, and sat down on the ledge. She was now facing him. Inclining her head to the side, she gestured with her hand. "Sit down Ferret boy, promise I won't bite you." Slowly, the blond haired boy approached her. Standing in front of her, she could now clearly see his face. He glanced to the seat next to her on the wall, and then back at her. He did this once, twice, and then again. "What?" she finally said, growing annoyed. "Do you think that if you sit next to me you'll catch my poverty, or some shite?" Abruptly, he laughed. Quickly, Ginny racked her brain, trying to think of a time that she had actually heard him do that - - laugh. Unsurprisingly, she couldn't think of a single time. "Actually, I was trying to decide whether or not you would hex me if I actually sat down next to you."

Ginny frowned. "I said I wouldn't bite Malfoy." Once again, she gestured to the seat. He took it, and surprised her by pulling a pack of muggle cigarettes out of his robe pocket. Lighting one, he offered the pack to her. She had never taken up the habit; Sirius always smoked after one of their trysts, but she usually avoided the foul smelling things. Now, she gladly took the offered pack, and let the blond boy light it for her with the tip of his wand. _What was she doing, sitting there in the middle of the night having a smoke with Draco bloody Malfoy?_She thought fleetingly."Yeah, you said that you wouldn't bite, but you didn't say anything about hexing my soddin' balls off, did you now?" He sent her a quick grin as he said the last, making her smile dryly back at him. "True enough, I suppose. What are you doing out here anyway?" She looked sideways at him, as she took in another drag off of her cigarette. The smoke was harsh, and burnt her throat. "Don't you know anything Weasley? I'm a Malfoy. When I'm out prowling around the corridors, trouble s'always afoot. It's well past three in the morning, so that must mean that I was aiding and abetting the Dark Lord, or some other such rubbish. Merlin's balls woman, hasn't Potter taught you anything?"

Ginny laughed, as she thought about it. "The boy is a bit predictable with his astute accusations, isn't he? Students are being petrified? Must have been Malfoy."

"Someone put my name into the Goblet of Fire? Oh wow, it must be Malfoy!" The blond haired boy snorted a very uncivilized snort, making Ginny choke on laughter. Who would have ever imagined that Malfoy could be such an easy conversationalist?

"Okay, so false accusations aside, what are you doing out here?" She looked up at the sky, feeling Draco's eyes on her. She realized suddenly, that the only thing that she was wearing beneath her jumper was a black lace bra_. How inappropriate_, she thought with a quick wicked grin. "Well, I am a Prefect. And the last time that I checked," his eyes went to Ginny once more, giving her an appraising look that made her skin tingle. "You aren't. So, what are you doing out here? Other than contemplating suicide, that is." Ginny rolled her eyes, and glared at him. "Firstly, that wasn't a proper answer, Ferret boy. That was evasion. And secondly, I wasn't contemplating anything, I was just bloody standing there!" Malfoy raised a single eyebrow at her, as he stubbed out his cigarette. "Getting a bit defensive there now, aren't we?" Ginny took a final hit off of her cigarette, and flicked it over the edge behind her.

"Well Malfoy," she said, hopping down and adjusting the back of her jumper where it had ridden up on her back. "Thanks so much for the smoke, but I've really got to go before someone could actually accuse us of having a civilized conversation." Ginny stood there, watching as Draco gracefully hopped off of the ledge. For a moment, Ginny allowed herself to actually look at the boy; this was something that she had never before allowed herself to do. He was quite tall, just as much so as Fred and George. His hair was short, and spiked. She easily imagined him standing in front of a mirror, spending hours getting each lock to stand up, just so. The robes that he wore didn't show much of his body, but they did suggest a muscular stature beneath them. She could tell that his shoulders were broad, and his waist was quite slim. His face was what really kept her attention, though. An aristocratic nose, coupled with high, arching cheekbones set his face apart from any other that she had ever seen. The only thing that really took away from his obvious handsomeness, to Ginny, were his eyes. They were a lovely color, the lightest blues with flecks of silver - - or was it white? - - but they were cold. Where most people's eyes - - Sirius's, for example - - were warm, and swimming, Draco's were hard, and betrayed nothing. _They were dangerous eyes_, she realized.

"Well," he said, coming to stand a few inches away from her. "We couldn't tarnish that spotless reputation that you have, now could we?" She swallowed, and tried not to blush. The boy had a way of saying things, almost as if his questions were suggestions, and his suggestions were actually questions. Everything with Draco was a game, and a perilous one at that.

"I suppose not, Malfoy." She said, beginning to walk away. Turning around, she looked at him, as she kept walking. "Do have a nice evening, alright?" He looked surprised for a moment, before finally nodding. "You as well, Weasley."

**xxXxx**

WEEKS PASSED, WITH little event. Ginny had thrown herself now more than ever into the PA; their numbers had reached three hundred and fifty. She still wasn't eating right, barely at all. Sleeping had become a joke to her, making her a religious after hour's wanderer. Lucky or not for her, the only person that she ever really ran into patrolling at night was Draco Malfoy, and whatever his intentions may have been, he had yet to rat her out. At least, to her knowledge. She had finally brought herself to tell Sam - - it was easier for her to consider him as such, anymore - - what had happened between her and Sirius. At her approval, he had done her the favor of telling the others. Harry had rather surprised her with his reaction; he was quite upset with his godfather, but she had asked him not to say anything to him.

The Marauders - - who had mostly just been spectators since discovering the organization - - were beginning to take it much more seriously; they had even pitched in on helping Ginny find new meeting places. Finding new locations though, had proved to be almost impossible. Umbridge had discovered, by some means or another, of the Phoenix Army's existence. Obviously, she didn't know much yet, but that hadn't deterred her much. She had put a ban on all types of unauthorized organizations; anyone who wanted to have anything to do with that type of thing had to seek her explicit permission, and then get a pass from the Minister of Magic himself. That part of it almost made Ginny laugh; the Minister of Magic was as good as Voldemort himself these days. He was being held under the Imperious Curse, which meant that he was nothing more than a puppet. With every passing day, Ginny had come to realize that Hogwarts was not safe anymore; Dumbledore was losing control to the Ministry and, in turn, to Voldemort. It was becoming clear to her, that no one else had realized this yet - - and if they had, then they were choosing to ignore it. Dumbledore was considered to be the leader of the rebellion against the Dark Lord, but in her eyes, the old man was slacking. He was either ignorant, or arrogant; she wasn't sure which, but really, it didn't matter. At the rate that things were going - - the war was escalating more and more with every passing day - - an attack on the school was not at all an improbable thought. Ginny felt that it was time to stop pretending, and time to start preparing.

"Everyone, quiet please." It was Friday night; the PA was meeting in an ancient classroom somewhere on the sixth floor of the southern tower. They were not here to practice; she had driven them to the point of exhaustion since returning from holiday - - she had even assigned everyone partners, which they were supposed to practice with at least twice a day. There hadn't been any complaints though, and for that, she was very proud. The Phoenix Army was an unlikely bunch of students - - there were all ages, skin colors, heights, weights, sexes, and classes - - but they had all become exceptional witches and wizards. Sure, they were no Aurors, and she was no professor; but still, they were ready for battle, and she felt with every fiber of her being, that they were prepared for this war. Ginny stood on a box, in front of over three hundred sets of eyes, and she felt proud. The students in front of her had done what many fully grown wizards had refused to do; they had recognized the prospect of war, and they had committed themselves to fighting it. Now as she stared back at them, in a pair of ripped jeans and a small Weird Sisters t-shirt, a smiled spread across her face. She believed in these students; she caught sight of a bunch of red hair, and distinguished her three brothers near the front. To their side, Harry stood next to James, with Sirius and Remus was behind them. Briefly, her eyes met Sirius's, who winked at her; she smiled wider, and looked down.

"Times are getting dark, as we all know. Voldemort-" A few gasps, by this point, most of the PA was so used to her casual use of the Dark Lord's name that they themselves had begun using it. "He is becoming bolder. Why?" Silence. Her eyes scanned over the many faces, before she continued. "Because, now that Fudge is just another of his puppets, he thinks that there isn't anyone other than Dumbledore left to stand in his way." A mummer ran through the crowd; she had already informed them all about the Minister of Magic. Any news that Sirius managed to get to her about the war, she always shared with the PA. In her mind, she believed that everyone against Voldemort had a right to stay informed. "However, he is wrong, isn't he?" Heads nodded their agreement; a few shouts of encouragement, and a few whistles. "_We_ are the final defense people. This may feel like a joke to some of you; maybe, none of you ever take the Army seriously. Let me assure you though, if you do feel this way: you are bloody well wrong. The PA is more important to this war than I think anyone truly realizes." Nods of agreement. She felt like her words were starting to ring true to the students. "Now, keeping in mind just how important this Army is…we need to talk about preparedness. That cunt Umbridge knows that we exist; it is only a matter of time now before she learns more. She will not stop until she finds us, and finds me- "Various cries of outrage sounded through the vast room. Ginny waited a moment, before she held a hand up, silencing the crowd. "It is time to face the truth, people; I am not afraid. There is still time to prepare, which I implore us all to do - - now, immediately, soon. We need to plan for an attack from Umbridge, and more so, we need to plan for an attack on the entire school." Conversation broke out in the room; no one really felt like Voldemort would dare to go against Dumbledore.

"You really think that Voldemort would go up against Dumbledore?" Dean Thomas shouted from somewhere in the fourth row of the crowd. She nodded, and quieted them all once again.

"I don't think that, Dean. I know it." More shouts, more outrage. It was clear to Ginny that the war had just become entirely too real for many of the students. She needed to say something before they all panicked; problem was, she couldn't think of a damn thing to say. She had told them the truth, she had told them what needed to be done. They weren't quite ready yet though, and that was a problem. They needed to be ready, and they needed to be ready now. Suddenly, Sirius was by her side to the right, and James and Harry were on her left. She could see Collin Creevy pushing his way to the front, being closely followed by two of her of red haired brothers. What surprised her more than anything though, was when Hermione ran up and took up a place between her and Harry. Her eyes flew back to the crowd, and sure enough, there was Ron, red faced and heading for the door. She looked to the girl on the floor next to her, with a question on her face. The bushy haired older girl was flushed, but had a pleased smile on her face.

"Ginny," she said quietly. "If being with your pig of a brother means treating you like well, shite, then I don't want to. Be with him," she swallowed nervously, as she blinked back tears. Ginny could feel her heart begin to well; never would she have thought that Hermione would choose being her friend over being with her brother. "I mean. You deserve better than how you've been being treated Gin, and I'm sorry that I've gone along with it for as long as I have." Ginny couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. Quickly, she grabbed the other girl's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Hermione instantly looked calmer, as a small smile crept over her own face. "No harm, no foul Hermione. To be honest, I think that I need all of the friends that I can get. I'm drowning a bit here, in case you haven't noticed, luv." Hermione shook her head in disbelief, and grinned back at her. "Honestly Gin, I really didn't notice. You always seem to be in control; I've just missed you terribly."

"Oi!" George Weasley suddenly shouted, his voice bouncing off of the stone walls. "Shut up ya gits!" The outcry that had been revolving through the crowd suddenly died; Ginny had always admired George's ability to control a crowd."Our sister's gotten ya all here, so ya had damn well better stuff it and listen up!" Fred Weasley was there, next to George. The two were always a team, always backing one another. Ginny valued these two of her brothers more than any of the rest, because she knew that no matter what happened, they would always be there, backing her as if she was just another twin.

"Listen up people," James Potter's voice was loud, but not a yell. It carried through the room, and the effect was instantaneous. All at once, Ginny was struck by how great of a wizard the man next to her was going to become; he would die battling Voldemort, saving Harry. Tears pricked at her eyes as she realized this, maybe fully for the first time. Sirius's hand was suddenly on her arm, and it steadied her. She closed her eyes, and breathed in; immediately, she felt calmer. Opening her eyes, she saw Sirius - - Sam really, but it was still Sirius - - studying her face with a thoughtful expression. "You okay?" He whispered. She nodded, and smiled; his hand was still on her arm, and for a moment, she closed her fingers over it and squeezed. He smiled back, and they both turned their attention back to the now settled crowd. "This girl," James gestured at Ginny, who tilted her chin up. "Is trying to save all your slimy little necks; don't try to blame her, for telling you lot the truth!" Mutters; James ignored their comments, and continued. "Obviously, Ginny has a plan, so why don't you all just shut the bloody hell up for minute, so that she can tell you how to stay alive." A few nods and Ginny felt relief once again; she was so terribly used to being alone - - on her own - - that she had forgotten how nice it was to have friends to stand by her side.

"Well, what's the plan then, Gin?" Neville Longbottom called out to her; she smiled at him. He was becoming an exceptional guy, as well as a good wizard. She cleared her throat, and jumped back onto the box.

"Well, first of all, we need to think about escape routes." She looked around the room; a few faces were considering - - they were thinking. Next to her on the floor, George Weasley smacked her on the leg. "Oi Gin," he said. "We've got that covered." He gestured to Fred, who grinned charmingly. "Actually," Sirius said, glancing at the twins, "We can help with that." At George's skeptical face, Remus elaborated. "We've, uh, found a few good passages around the school." He grinned up at Ginny, who stifled a snort. She looked back at the Army; their faces were now more determined than afraid. She knew that she had not staked all of this on nothing.

"Next, we need to break off into groups…five to every group, I think. These people will be who you practice with, and who you will stay with when battle comes." More conversation, but this time, it wasn't afraid; the students were excited. "After that, we need to figure out quick transportation, for if there is an attack or if we need to get to a battle quickly." A few shouts about brooms, and cars, which she shot down quickly. "Both are too obvious," she said, with a roll of her eyes. "We need something quicker and more reliable…" She looked around at the mass of faces, before an idea occurred to her. She looked next to her at Hermione.

"Hey, 'Mione." The bushy haired girl started, before looking up at Ginny. "Yes?" She said, and a nervous voice. "S.P.E.W." Hermione's brows furrowed for a moment, as she bit her bottom lip. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "You want to use the house elves?" Her voice was incredulous. Ginny nodded, with a grin spreading across her face. "Absolutely." She turned back to the crowd, and raised her voice. "Everyone, talk to this lady- "She grabbed Hermione's hand, and held it up. "Here, about S.P.E.W.. By next week, I want for all of you to be best friends with a house elf. Know their name, what they like, what they hate. We need them, not the other way around. So be courteous, because eventually, your lives may very well depend on one of the little creatures."

"People," her eyes surveyed the room. "Times are darker than I think most of you realize. You cannot count on the _Prophet_ for news on the war, because their columns are being monitored by the Ministry. And you of course cannot count on the Ministry for the truth, because Fudge is Voldemort's bloody puppet!" Gasps, shouts. Ginny ignored it, and continued. "War is fast approaching - - truly, it is. We are running out of time to prepare for the inevitable, and I do not have the time, or the patience to hold your hands and walk you through this anymore! Let me give you a soddin' newsflash here, alright? The Ministry knows about us!" Collectively, the PA seemed to take a breath. This was news to many, indeed. "Now, it is only a matter of time before we are all discovered. Which is why, I am trying to get all of you as ready as I can for this war. Please, do not bury your heads in the sand in this hour…we are the last defense. I have said this again and again, as it becomes clearer to me every day. You are all amazing witches are wizards," Ginny's voice was hard as she said this. She hoped that her words held more encouragement than she was feeling on the inside. "I implore you; do not waste your magic by standing idle in this fight."

Ginny didn't know if this was enough, if she had said anything right, or everything wrong. The only thing that she was honestly sure of, was that what she was saying was true. She knew in her heart of hearts, that if the Phoenix Army went into battle, some of these kids were going to die. She knew this, but still she believed in them. It was a war, after all. People always died in the fight; the casualties were just a means, not an end. She had trained these students herself; no, she wasn't a professor, but she did know her defense. She had taught them dark magic and light magic alike, just as she had taught them magical defense and also muggle defense. Over the past school year, she had taught this group of people the best of everything that she knew about staying alive, and winning the fight. _Here's for hoping_, she thought as the PA finally began to cheer, _that my best is better than Voldemort's worst._

**xxXxx**

**A/N: Sorry that this chapter took such a painfully long time to post! Last week was finals week, so that was pretty consuming. Also, this chapter was a dozy to get down. I rewrote almost every sentence, at least three times each. So yeah, there it is! I hope that you will all enjoy the hell out of this; I know that I've been enjoying writing it. I'll try to post the next chapter before Monday. I'm on spring break right now, so I have a bit more time than usual. Promise, I'll not keep you waiting this long again, at least not without proper warning =)**


	7. Chapter Six

**DISCLAIMER**: I own nothing! Nada, zip, zilch! Everything Harry Potter belongs to Missus J. K. Rowling. If it were mine, then I would own my house.

**A/N: Holy shit! So sorry that it has take this long for me to update! Drama, stress, drama, stress, stress, stress. My goal is to get chapter seven up before the weekend is over, so yeah. After much accidental ado, here is the next installment =D **

**Chapter Six: The Beginning**

"PLEASE, TELL ME that you're lying Malfoy." Ginny's face was deadpan as she said this. It was well past midnight, and they were in the third floor Prefects bathroom.

"I'm lying." Rolling his eyes at the girl in front of him, Draco ran an aggravated hand through his hair. Obviously, he was distressed. As much as Ginny wanted to write off what the Slytherin had just told her as false, she was inclined to believe him.

"You know that I'm not lying, Ginny." He took a deep breath, locking eyes with her. "Weasleyette, your brother narked on you, because - - well, you supply the reason. I don't know why he did what he did, but I know that he bloody well did it, because I was in Umbridge's office not two hours ago when the sod told her." Draco placed his slender hands on Ginny's shoulders, and leveled her with a weighty look. She didn't know the Slytherin well; they had only been speaking civilly for the past few weeks. Standing there though, her in nothing but a large white towel, and him in his Prefect's garb, he seemed sincere - - or at least, as sincere as she had ever seen him. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Draco…what in the name of Merlin's balls does 'narked' mean?" The blond blinked, as Ginny raised her eyebrows at him expectantly. "Oh, it, uh…" Draco mumbled something indecipherable, making Ginny snort in what her mother would undoubtedly dub as an 'unladylike' way. "Um, what was that there, Draco? I could quiet catch it over the sound of your backpedaling." That earned her a sharp look, and one of the youngest Malfoy's trademark single arched eyebrows. "What I said, you bloody little bint, was that it is a common muggle slang term. Thanks a'bunch." That was not the answer that Ginny had expected, and a startled laugh suddenly escaped the red head. "Draco, why in the…you know what? Never mind. Never fuckin' a mind."

Ginny had been coming here, to this bathroom for the past week. One evening, when she had told Hermione in passing that she had been having trouble sleeping and that only hot baths seemed to help her, the older girl had divulged the password to the elite bathroom to her. Ginny had thanked her repeatedly, promising not to get caught. Oh course she had gotten caught, but only by Malfoy. How strange, Ginny though. That a few months ago she would have died if the blond haired git had caught her bathing, but now she barely seemed to care. Since that first night in the Astronomy Tower, they had run into each other over and over again. Their conversations were always strange, and also brief. Draco also seemed to have an impeccable way of finding her, which usually would have put her on guard. For some reason though, it didn't. She didn't exactly trust Draco, but she wanted to.

Ginny chewed on her lower lip, as one of Draco's hands came up and tucked back a stray lock of her soaking wet red hair. The action made goose bumps appear along her arms and legs; beneath her towel, her nipples hardened painfully. She breathed in sharply, and took a step back. Raising her eyes to his face, she saw that his light eyes were hooded with - - what, lust? Desire? She wasn't sure. Clearing her throat, she walked over to the furthest shower stall - - which she had occupied just minutes ago - - and walked back into it, closing the curtain behind her.

"Right," she heard Draco call. "I'll just wait here then."

Ginny chuckled softly to herself, as she pulled her jeans up over her ass and snapped the button on them. Electing not to bother with her bra, because she would be wearing a jumper over her shirt anyway, she pulled the red tee shirt that she had worn before her shower over her breasts and down over her stomach. Grabbing her jumper and running fingers through her still damp hair, she opened the curtain and walked back into the main bathroom. Looking around, she didn't see Draco, so she went ahead and walked out into the corridor. As she walked, her bare feet made soft slapping sounds on the stone floor. There, sitting on a bench beside the lavatory door, was Malfoy. He was sitting back, with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his robes. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his mouth pulled into a grim line.

"What's up Ferret boy? You look a bit stressed." She spoke lightly, as she came to stand directly in front of him. He didn't seem to hear her voice, or if he did, he ignored her. Focusing on his face, Ginny realized that he wasn't even looking at her. Or at least, not at her face.

"Draco Malfoy, you bloody little perv!" His eyes, which had previously been trained at her chest, instantly snapped up to her eyes. "Um," he said, licking his lips. "What was the question again?" Ginny screeched aggrievedly shook her head, and turned around, making to walk away. In a flash, Draco was in front of her, grabbing her wrists, and twisting her arms behind her back. The suddenness of the action made her breath come in a harsh gasp; like this, her back was pressed against his front. Suddenly, he tightened his grip on her arms. It made her neck curl up towards his and her ass press up more firmly against the front of his pants. Through the fabric of her pants, she could feel his arousal pressing against her. The sensation made her cry out, and him gasp.

"D-Draco," her voice was low, and raspy. Her head was swimming, and her thoughts were coming to her in a foggy haze. "We can't- - not here." Abruptly, he released his hold on her wrists. The only thing that kept her from falling was his hands, suddenly on her hips, steadying her. "Let's go," he said, with a hungry expression on his face. He grabbed her by the bicep, and began leading her through the dark corridor. "Draco, wait - -" Ginny tried to protest, but suddenly his mouth came crashing down against hers. Roughly, he pushed her up against the wall; his hands went down, cupping her ass, as her legs wrapped around his waist. She could feel when one of his hands left her ass. Behind her, she heard a small clicking sound, and then the wall moved. Apparently, he had thrown her up against a door, and had just opened it. They almost fell forward into the room, but his arms tightening around her back stopped them.

Ginny heard Draco kick the door closed behind them. She didn't understand how he could manage to do anything right then, because Merlin knew that she herself was having a hard enough time thinking. _What was she doing? This was Draco bloody Malfoy! He was - - he was bad! He was the enemy! Wasn't he? Yes, they had been talking for the past few weeks, but this was insane. How had this even happened? What the fucking hell was she even doing? This was crazy! He was- he was – oh sweet Merlin, he was licking her stomach!_

They were sprawled down on the floor, Ginny on her back, and Draco on the floor between her legs. Somewhere, Ginny had lost her shirt, and Draco had lost his robe and shirt. His face was lowered to her stomach; he seemed to be licking and biting his way to the top of her pants. Ginny was caught, like a deer in the headlights. On one hand, what he was doing to her body felt absolutely amazing; it felt so good to be touched again. But on the other hand, not only did she not know the boy between her legs very well, but it was also Draco Malfoy. And really, half-assed friendship aside, wasn't he supposed to be the enemy? More so, wasn't she still in love with Sirius?

That thought made her eyes - - which had fluttered closed in ecstasy - - fly open. In a flash, she sat up, and pushed the Slytherin away. Her arms went up and covered her chest, as her eyes scanned the dark room for her shirt. Draco, who had backed away on his knees and turned his head politely, now held the garment out in her direction without looking. "Thanks," she muttered. A moment later, her wand was lit. Draco glanced behind him, and seeing her nod at him, turned to face her. Looking around, she realized that he had led her to what had been the DADA classroom the year that Lupin had taught at the school. How ironic, she though dryly. In front of her, Draco had gotten his shirt back on, and was buttoning his robe back up.

"Draco, I-I didn't mean to lead you on." She also stood, and crossed her arms over her chest awkwardly. He glanced up at her, and arched an eyebrow. "Right. So you just forgot that I was a Malfoy for a minute. Okay." The mask that he usually wore was back in place; his face betrayed nothing, it was just a solid mask of arrogance. "Draco, it has nothing to do with you being a Malfoy, you git!" She was frustrated; she should never have drug him into her fucked up little love life. Draco, who had been headed for the door, stopped at her words. "Oh? Well then what is it Weasley?" She sighed, and gripped her hair in closed fists. She hadn't told anyone about it; Harry knew of course, but that had been an accident. It seemed almost right that the person that she would finally willingly admit it to would be someone who had nothing invested in it, who wouldn't really care.

"It has nothing to do with you Draco. I- I really like you, thinks are just…well to be honest, things are a bit fucked r-right now." Her voice cracked at the end of it, and she hated how weak she sounded. She felt like a moron, for feeling like she did, for telling it like she did. She had his attention now; Draco turned, just in time to see a tear slide down her cheek. "Hey, hold on now. I've never seen you cry Weasley, and that's something considering the volume of nasty shite that has come out my mouth about you. What the bloody hell is going on?" She sighed, as she wiped at another falling tear. "I can't have sex with you because it wouldn't be fair to you Draco. I'm - - well, I at least was in love with someone else. Fucking hell, I don't know what I am anymore, to be honest." She walked over to one of the dusty old desks, and pulled the chair out. She sat in it heavily. Across from her, Draco pulled out the chair from another desk and spun it around, so that he sat on it facing her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that you were with anyone. I mean, I knew that you had a few flings last year, but I didn't think that any of them were particularly serious." His eyebrows furrowed gracefully, as he pulled out his pack of ever-present muggle cigarettes. He lit one, and offered the pack to her. She accepted, and let him light it for her. "Well," she said, taking a hit. "They weren't." He looked a question at her; she stared back, and tried to figure out what to say. "Well," he said in his trademark, you're-a-bloody-idiot voice. "Who was the lucky bloke, then?" She studied her cuticles as she took another long drag. _Well_, she thought. _May as well go for it… _

"Sirius Black." For a moment, Draco just stared at her. Finally, his face crumpled as he broke out into laughter. However, when her face never changed, the blond boy seemed to sober quickly. "You're bloody serious!" She glared at him, "Quite so." He looked at her appraisingly, before shaking his head and pressing a fist to his forehead. "That… wow. I just ..wow. I mean..wow." Ginny rolled her eyes, and pushed his chair back with her foot. "Anyway, that's what was wrong. It has nothing to do with you, your name, or your blood. Alright?" He nodded, flicking ashes onto the desk in front of him. "So," he said after a few moments of silence. "What happened, then? You said that you _were_ in love with someone, not that you _are_._" _She looked down at her toes; the polish on one of them was beginning to chip.

"I don't know." Her voice was quiet, small. "He didn't really give a reason."

Silence hung in the room once again, but this time, it was okay. Ginny finished her cigarette, and sat back in her chair. Tipping it back, she glanced up at Draco. He had just stubbed his cigarette out, and was regarding her with a guarded expression as he exhaled one last puff of smoke

"What?" she asked him. He seemed to be considering his words carefully. "So," he said finally, his voice filled with amusement. "Was he a bad lay, then?"

The only reply that he received was the sound of a stunned Ginny tipping her chair back too far on its legs, and falling backward without grace. Quickly, she rolled her legs over her head and sprung back up. In front of her, Malfoy was shaking with silent laughter.. Brushing herself off, she leveled him with one of her nastiest glares. Unfortunately for her, this look - - which usually had the person she aimed it towards cowering - - didn't seem to have much of an effect on the Slytherin.

"You 'bout done there Ferret boy?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. After a few more moments, his laughter finally subsided, and he quieted, wiping at the tears streaming out of his eyes.

"Sweet Merlin, that was one of the bloody funniest things I've ever seen! You should have seen your face - - priceless!" Ginny ignored him, and hopped up onto the desk next to his.

"So, before this evening got all mucked up and wonky, you were telling me something very important? About my treacherous little prat of a brother?" She met his eyes, and watched as he smirked. She felt her mouth twist into a sneer. "I'm sorry Malfoy, but did I miss something here?" Tipping the chair that he sat in back onto two legs, he lit another cigarette. "No, probably not. But you have to see it from my perspective, luv. I've known about your little after school activity for months, and I haven't breathed a word about it to anyone. But here," he exhaled, and she coughed as the smoke wrapped around her face. "You own brother can't even pay you the same courtesy…I always knew he was a wanker."

"That…" Ginny couldn't even think of how to respond to what she had just heard. Could Draco Malfoy have really known about the PA for months, and not told anyone about it? _Doubtful_, she decided. _Very doubtful_. "That's a load of Hippogriff shit, Malfoy." She watched as the place above his right eye twitched. "Pardon?" He said, in a very cold voice. "I said, that that's a load off shit. There's no way that you could have known and not told anyone. I mean," she ran fingers through her hair. "What reason would you have had for not ratting us out?"

"It's not shit, you thick little bint. What is with you and this superiority complex? I always thought that I was narcissistic, but you take it to the next bleedin' level, you do. You always think that you know everything about everyone - - " He got up from his chair, and stood before her, parting her knees with his hips. "All the time. Think that you can peg anyone down with a sidelong glance, don't you?" She swallowed, and looked away from him. There was a definite truth to his words, and she hated him for it. Was she really that narcissistic? Maybe.

Draco reached up, and wrapped his fist through her hair, forcing her to look at him. "Newsflash, Weasleyette. Not everyone is pegged. You brother is a class-act arsehole, and I'm maybe not as evil as you may have thought previously." She gritted her teeth, and roughly pulled his hand out of her hair. He let go, and she pushed him back at his chest, making him take a few steps away from the desk that she sat on. "How did you find out?" Thankfully, her voice was level, even. There was something about Draco Malfoy that kept catching her off guard. She wasn't sure if she liked it, or hated it about him. But then, she had just been on the floor of an abandon classroom with the blond boy, with every intention of throwing caution - - and her better judgment - - out the window and shagging his brains out. Plus, she was still there, speaking to him and not trying to hex his privates off in a fit of embarrassment. Obviously, Draco Malfoy was growing on her. Either that, or else her broken heart were starting to unhinge her a bit.

"Two weeks before Christmas Holiday, I saw you wandering around one of the lesser used halls in the fourth floor East corridor. I had just been wandering - - I think that you've realized by now, I never sleep - - when I noticed you. I was going to say something about what you were wearing…I think that you had on an exceptionally hideous pair of pajama pants? Anyway, right when I was about to call out, I saw the wall in front of you open up. It was only open long enough for you to walk through, but it was still enough time for me to gather what was going on." As spoke, his voice was quiet. Draco was walking slowly around the classroom, picking up random objects and examining them. With the hurry that Professor Lupin had left Hogwarts in, many of his lesser favored trinkets had gotten left behind.

"You wouldn't have just left it at that though, would you have Malfoy?" Her voice was quiet as well, but still, it didn't hide the accusation in it. "No," he said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow at her. He was currently examining an outdated Sneakascope. "I didn't. One of the few faces that I was able to recognize - - other than yours, of course - - was that one wanker; Justin Fitch-Feary. The next day, I tracked him down, and I threatened him with suspension - -"

"That little sod! I'm going to string him up by his bloody short and curlies…" Ginny flexed her fists as she continued to mutter various other threats under her breath. Draco waited until she finally returned her attention to him. "You done?" he said, with a bemused expression. "Yeah, go on, go on." She settled for crossing her arms under her breath, and scowling at a spot a short distance about his head. "So he told me everything about the PA - -that's it, right? The Phoenix Army? - - and more than that, he told me everything about you. Everything that he knew, at least." Ginny's eyes widened, as the full extent of what the Slytherin was saying actually dawned on her. "Wait," she hopped down, and stalked over to the arrogant boy. "That's why we keep running into each other in the corridors? Because you're, like, what? Trying to figure me out? With the Phoenix Army shite?" His eyebrows furrowed, as he took in her enraged face.

"Uh, that- well, that wasn't exactly why…I mean-" She raised her eyebrows at him, and waited. "Well, what does it bloody well matter what my intentions were anyway? The fact of the matter is, I knew about you and your army, and I didn't nark on you." She studied his face, and finally nodded. "Thank you." She said softly. Tossing her long red hair over her shoulder, she turned away from Draco. Reaching the door, she placed her hand on the handle. "Draco," she said, resting her forehead against the door's cool surface. "Yeah?" He replied. "Why didn't you tell Umbridge about me?" She listened, as he blew out a breath she hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Just because my name is Draco Malfoy, does not automatically make me the Dark Lord's future right-hand-man." She listened, as walked over to what she thought was one of the rooms immense windows.

"So then where do you stand with this war?" Her voice was quiet, but clear. It was a loaded question, and it meant more than she thought he may have realized. She could not - - would not - - befriend a Death Eater. And she certainly could never be with one. What had happened that evening was absolutely insane, and she didn't feel like dissecting the encounter in her mind too closely, yet. She wasn't over Sirius, not by a long-shot. She still loved him, still missed him, and still cried about him. But he had told her that what she had given him - - which was everything that she had to give - - just wasn't enough. That was a deep cut to her heart, and it wasn't something that she thought she could forgive anytime soon. Was she still in love with Sirius Black? Absolutely. Did she still want to be with him? That was a harder question.

"I've been trying to figure that out for the past two years. I'll let you know when I decide." The answer was evasive, and empty. It was such a Draco answer that it made her smile, as she slipped out the classroom door and back up to Gryffindor tower.

**xxXxx**

"I DON'T BELIEVE it."

"It had to be a lie, Gin."

"Why would Draco Malfoy have tipped you off, anyway?"

Ginny sighed, and rubbed her temples. She was lying on her favorite ledge in the Astronomy Tower. It was the same spot where she had first spoken to Malfoy at, and she grinned to herself thinking about it. It was Saturday, the morning after Draco had come to her, and warned her about her brother's betrayal. It was just past breakfast, and the wind cutting at the tower was cold. The morning light was bright, and glaring. It was the beginning of March, so the snow was gone, but the air was still cold. Where the sun hit the tower's wall, it warmed, making Ginny feel like a cat sunbathing. She wore the same jeans as the night before, her favorite worn, ripped pair. Her shirt, which hit her at the navel, was a thin black tee shirt with a muggle cross on the front of it in faded white paint. On top of it she wore a hand-me-down black trench coat from Bill; he had spent most of his teenage years wearing it, and she cherished it for the sentimentality behind it. On her feet, were more hand-me-downs; a pair of clunky, black army boots. Her hair was down and long, and she wore sunglasses on her face.

Since that day in Grimmauld Place, she had taken to dressing a bit more plainly. She just didn't feel like herself in the same flashy, showy clothes that she had been wearing for the past two years as a 'statement'. She didn't feel like that girl anymore, the one who fought everyone and everything. Really, she didn't know who she was anymore. _A girl who would give it up to a future Death Eater_, she thought grimly. How had she gotten to this place?

"It's not a lie," she said, with her eyes closed. With her, was Sam, Jason, and Robin. She tried not to think of them as the Mauraders anymore. They had been sent to her time to help her save Sirius, so that the war could be won. How, though, could she save a man that didn't want anything to do with her anymore? She didn't know what to think, didn't know what to do. If the time came, when Sirius needed to be saved, she hoped that she would be able to. Despite her hurt - - her anger - - she still loved him; she would still die for the man, no matter what had transpired between them. "And I do believe him."

"What in the hell for Ginny?" Jason asked, angrily cleaning off his glasses.

"Because I just do! I-I don't know, alright?"

"You're sure that he's telling the truth?" Sam asked her, coming to sit by her feet on the wall.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"What's the plan, then?" This from Robin, always the first to accept a hard truth.

"Plan C will do, I think."

Silence. She cracked open a single eye, to see that three blank faces were staring at her.

"What?" she asked. Even to her own ears, her voice sounded tired.

"Uh, Gin?" It was Sam.

"Yes?" She tired to keep the annoyance that she was feeling out of her voice. She was pissed at the thirty-six year old Sirius back at Grimmauld Place, not his sixteen year old self that was standing in front of her now.

"What exactly is Plan C?" His face, and the face of his two friends, were not skeptical, only inquisitive. She needed to remember that not everyone was against her; really, when she took the tie to think about it, she had more friends than enemies. _Unless_, she thought with a wince, _you counted the bad guys_. When she included them into her calculations, she was pretty well screwed.

**xxXxx**

AT EIGHT O'CLOCK that evening, the doors to the Room of Requirements burst open, just as Draco had told her earlier that afternoon that they would. When the smoke cleared, and the short, stocky frame of Dolorous Umbridge entered the room, she was not greeted by the sight that she had expected to receive. Instead of hundreds of terrified eyes staring back at her, there was only one set. Ginny Weasley stood, with a sneer on her face, and hands on her hips. She wore what she had earlier; the only difference, being that she had traded her sunglasses for thick black eyeliner. She was alone in the room, which was transformed into a plain white room, with no windows and only one door. It was blindingly bright in the room; the addition of the smoke from the explosion of the door nearly blinded Hogwarts' High Inquisitor when she entered. However, Ginny's eyes had already adjusted; behind Umbridge, she could make out the form of two of her lackeys, and also the smirking face of Draco Malfoy. When their eyes met across the room, she inclined her head at him just fractionally. He returned the acknowledgement with the arching of a single blond eyebrow.

"Miss Weasley," the toad-like woman said, in her sickeningly sweet voice. "Where are the rest of your cohorts tonight, hm? I dare say, I would hate for them to miss out on the party." She came to stand in front of Ginny. Despite the fact that Ginny herself was a bit vertically challenged, Umbridge still only reached her shoulders. To say that Ginny did not enjoy looking down her nose at the vile woman would be quite the lie.

"Cohorts?" Ginny's face remained a mask of blank defiance as she raised both eyebrows. "I must say, I think that you must be mistaken. Obviously, I am quite alone here." She made a sweeping gesture around the room, demonstrating that she was indeed, alone. In front of her, the woman's smashed looking face hardened, letting the monster behind the mask shine through for a moment. "Indeed." She walked a small circle around Ginny; when she passed around her back, it took a physical effort on Ginny's part not to turn with her. She didn't like not having her eyes on the woman. Standing before her once again, a cruel smile spread across her shiny pink lips.

"Hand over your wand, Miss Weasley." Ginny felt her eyes narrow, but obliged. There was no way for the evening to progress further unless she surrendered her wand. What she was hoping for - - what her plan hinged on - - was going to Umbridge's office before the Headmaster or anyone in the Ministry was notified of the High Inquisitor's bust. Knowing the woman before her from that innumerable numbers of detentions that she had received at the beginning of the year, Ginny assumed that she would want to interrogate her privately. The woman - - who held Ginny's wand by fingertips, as though it were dirty - - opened her ever-present offensive pink, knitted handbag, and dropped the wand inside. With a pleased, "Humph," Umbridge raised her eyes back at Ginny. After a moment of consideration, she muttered an unintelligible spell. Instantly, bindings made of thin, twined wire shot out of the tip of her wand, and secured themselves around Ginny's wrists, binding them behind her back. As they secured, they tightened, The metal was cold, and jagged in some places. As Ginny strained against the binds, the metal bit into the tender flesh of her wrists, making her wince.

Umbridge studied her face as her arms worked the binds; a cruel smile twisted across her face as she saw the skin around Ginny's eyes tighten. "Comfortable, dearie?" Ginny licked her lips, and felt her face contort with fury. "Quite, ya bloody old bitch." The smirk instantly disappeared from the woman's face.

"Mister Malfoy!" Umbridge suddenly called in a sing-song voice. In a flash, he was by her side. "Yes mum?" Ginny rolled her eyes; the tone was his trade-mark Professor ass-kiss voice. "Drakey, dear. I need to run to my classroom. I have a present to retrieve for Ginevra here, and I would like for you to assist Misters Crabb and Goyle in delivering her to my office."

Draco raised his eyes to Ginny's and smiled, showing too much teeth and too little humanity. It was a practiced look, from spending too much time with too bad of people. She wondered for a moment, if he had inherited the look from his father, or if he had developed it to use around him. Ginny forced her face to remain impassive; she at least hoped that the look was practiced. She didn't think that Draco would hurt her, not really. Her words from that night at on the Astronomy Tower replayed themselves in her mind_. I won't bite, unless you want me to…_

Here was for hoping that Draco would play by the same rules.

**xxXxx**

TEN MINUTES LATER, Draco and Ginny had just reached the corridor that housed the office of Hogwarts' High Inquisitor. In front of them, Crabb and Goyle marched along quietly just as Draco had instructed them to do. The walk there seemed to take longer than it actually had, and the original surge of energy that Ginny had gained when Umbridge had broken down the doors to the Room had long since dissolved. As she blinked once, twice, and then again, the two boys in front of her suddenly released gasps, before flying across the hall.

"Impedemente!" A female voice called from around the corner that they approached. Ginny jumped to the right, as Draco dove off to the left, firing a counter spell at the girl.

"Expellimius!" He barked, the spell hitting Hermione Granger square in the chest.

"Draco, stop! It's Hermione!" Ginny threw the blond one of her best glares - - the one that, when coupled with her Bat-Bogey Hex, had sent a Slytherin running more than once. Running over to the bushy haired girl who was now dazed, sprawled across the middle of the corridor's floor. "Hermione, are you okay? And what in the _hell_ was that?" Hermione sat up, rubbing the back of her head where it had made contact with the stone floor when the disarming spell had sent her flying. "Ginny, I…" glancing pointedly at Draco, before looking back at the red haired girl kneeling beside her. "It's fine Hermione, Draco's…he's alright. Say whatever you have to say; Umbridge will be back soon." Nodding, and accepting the hand that Ginny extended to her, Hermione continued speaking as she stood up and brushed her skirt off. "Ginny, Voldemort has Sirius. We have to get to the Ministry of Magic, before it's too late."


	8. Chapter Seven

**DISCLAIMER**: I own nothing! Nada, zip, zilch! Everything Harry Potter belongs to Missus J. K. Rowling. If it were mine, then I would own my house.

**A/N: **So sorry that this chapter took so long! I have been getting reviews & story subscriptions left and right, which is really awesome! Oh, and just a heads-up: sorry for any errors.

**Chapter Seven: The Middle**

SPELLS were flying from every direction, bouncing off of walls, floors, bodies and objects. Ginny ducked and darted, trying to weave her way through the sea of wizards that threatened to swallow her whole. Her body seemed to be running on auto-pilot; her hands moved, using fist and wand to defend herself, and the few others that she could still see around her. It had finally happened - - Sirius had been careless. Harry had seen it all in one of his infamous prophetic dreams. Sirius held captive, broken and bleeding, begging for mercy…and then Voldemort killing him. The very thought of it made shivers rack through Ginny's body. She didn't know where she and the older man stood anymore; there was defiantly still love there, but there were also other emotions now. She felt mistrust, confusion, and the first thread of rage. _All of that aside_, Ginny thought, as she ducked a nasty stunner sent at her by McNair. A very short time ago, Sirius Black was her entire universe. She could not, and _would_ not, leave him to die at Tom Riddle's hands. She would find him, and she would save him. This was the night that the Marauders had been sent to change, she was sure of it.

xxXxx

GINNY, Harry, Neville, Hermione, and perhaps ten other PA members had all fought their way down, into the very depths of the Ministry of Magic. Ginny knew, in a vague sort of way, that the other one-hundred-and-something members that had also been teleported here by their house elf friends were somewhere in the floors above them. They had been there for nearly an hour, and as far as Ginny could tell, they were pretty evenly matched with the Death Eaters. She had seen a few of her own fall - - no deaths, but one boy whose name she could not recall had his shirt stained by blood, just as another girl had a definite broken leg. _At least no one was dead_, Ginny thought with a puff of breath, as she followed Harry down a steep spiraled flight of stone stairs. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Ginny immediately recognized that they had just been led into a trap.

The room was sunk low into the floor, with steps leading up all around the room to various stone benches. The room itself was cylindrical, with an extremely tall vaulted ceiling and deep floor. There were no lights visible in the strange room, and yet still, it was lit with an unearthly glow. The light seemed to be, by Ginny's eyes, radiating from a single ten foot arch in the center of the room. The arch was made out off the same cold grey stone as the rest of the room, but there was something strange about it. The arch itself seemed to be thrumming with magic - - maybe just power, whatever the difference was. The iridescent curtain that hung over the structure fluttered and flowed, despite the definite lack of breeze in the room. Without meaning to do so, Ginny found herself taking small steps towards the archway. It was quiet, but she would have sworn that she could hear small voices calling out to her, from beyond it. Was that a child's voice? It sounded like a little girl's voice…

"Harry," she said, her eyes darting around as she suddenly stopped herself from taking another step forward. A moment ago, she had been standing right next to Harry, and now, if she reached her hand forward, she would be able to touch the veil. Now that she had snapped herself out of the daze that the arch seemed to have held over her, she realized just how evil that the structured seemed to be. Swallowing hard, she tightened the grip that held on her wand nervously. "This doesn't feel right."

"Why…" Harry muttered, a bewildered expression flawing his face. Before she could reply however, a slam sounded at the top of the stairs. Sharing a quick, panicked look with Harry, Ginny felt the full weight of the situation that they were in land on her. She and Harry were alone. No one else had made it down the steps, before the door above them had been shut with magical force. The room was black, lit only by the two faint orbs that were being emitted from the tips of her and Harry's wands. The room itself was think and heavy with the feel of what Ginny had always considered the residue that dark magic left. That feeling - - _the evil_, she thought to herself - - was pulsating from the veil that stood in the center of the room, beckoning to her. Ginny did not know where exactly they were inside of the MoM, other than somewhere deep within its core. On top of the darkness, the virtual solitude, and - - oh yeah, the _evil_ - - a sudden ruffling noise signaled the apparition of a dozen or more Death Eaters.

Ginny swallowed, trying to fight the bile that had suddenly begun rising inside of her throat. They were trapped. She had been led into a trap, to her death. And worse yet, she had also brought her army right along into hell with her. Wand held aloft, Ginny used her free hand to feel around behind her in the darkness. With a brush of her fingertips, she found the edge of Harry's cloak. Moving so that she and the boy that she had once considered herself to be in love with stood back-to-back, Ginny let her hand fall into Harry's for a moment, to give a reassuring squeeze. "Ginny, I'm sorry that I made this happen…" Tears threatening her eyes, Ginny bit down on her bottom lip for a moment before replying. "Don't, Harry. I love him too; I came here - - did this - - because I would rather die than see Sirius captured by Voldemort. No matter what happens tonight, you are not to blame yourself."

"Aw, how very touching! Tell me sweet, should I kill you now?"

The eerie voice was that of Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius's crazed cousin. Ginny had heard firsthand stories of the woman's warped sense of fun and games. Suppressing a shudder at the memory, Ginny fought to make her face an impassive mask of combined boredom, anger, and annoyance. She could take this bitch; she had to. There was no way of knowing when someone would discover the mass of missing students, much less the battle that they were participating in. No, there was probably no Calvary coming. This was it; Ginny, Harry, and a whole lot of bloodthirsty Death Eaters. They would win this - - they had to, or else everyone's blood would be on her hands. Her cold, dead hands…

"Fuck you, Belatrix."

"Imperio!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Dueling with Betralix was unlike any duel that Ginny had ever participated in before. The woman before her was intense and focused, although it took a moment for the effect to hit you, really. At first glance, the woman didn't look like much. Yes, she was tall. Sure, she was creepy - - her height, wispy black hair, and gaunt features insured that effect. The obsidian orbs set back into her skull were heavily lidded and partially obscured by thick eyelashes, and danced with mirth at the promise of violence that had presented itself to her in the form of Ginny Weasley. Belatrix was very tall for a woman. To Ginny's eyes, she seemed to be at least ten feet tall, although that was surely just the scared part of her mind talking. The robe that hung on the witch was a wispy, tattered black thing. It was obviously older than Merlin; Ginny had the fleeting thought that it must be the same robe that the woman had been locked up in Azkaban wearing, so many years back. No makeup adorned Belatrix's ivory skin, nor was there any polish on her nails. She would have been lovely - - if not a bit plain - - if it were not for the deep frown-lines on her face and the miscellaneous splattering of scars that were dotted across the pallet of skin that peaked over the ragged top of her robes.

Ginny and the other witch walked a slow circle around each other, sending out spells that each easily cast aside. They were testing each other - - getting a feeling of the other one's magic. They were both extremely strong witches, that much was clear. Ginny's feet barley touched the ground, as her and the Black sister circled around the floor of the deep chamber. Her eyes were focused, dry and hurting in her determination not to blink. In her mind, she hadn't the time to think, much less close her eyes. Her muscles were tense, coiled with anticipation. There was no doubt in Ginny's mind that the woman in front of her would kill her if she gave her the chance - - Belatrix Lestrange was a well-known murderer. She would kill Ginny with a smile on her face and peace in her mind.

"Crucio!" Belatrix cried.

Ginny threw herself on the ground, and rolled to the right, hiding behind the stone base of the strange veil. Pressing her back hard against the cold stone, Ginny gasped for air as she heard the deranged witch shriek with laughter.

"Aw, what'sa matter poppet? Is ickle libble Ginnikins afraid of little ol' me?"

Another beat and Ginny ran from behind the veil at the sound of the woman's laughter. The fight around her had grown, and Ginny somehow had not noticed. What had started out as only her and Harry against probably fifteen of Voldemort's followers had grown. Now, as her eyes quickly scanned over the many faces, she realized that not only were there more Death Eaters, but there were also Order members, and some of the PA members that had traveled with her earlier that night. In fact, the large, circular room that they were in was so crowded that she was nearly shoulder to shoulder with five different people. Ginny didn't like that; it was dangerous. She would have almost preferred to once again be nearly alone; at least in that situation, she knew who was who. Now, she felt her head spinning. Faces were blurring; the room was too hot, and the noise was growing unbearably loud. She needed to find Belatrix, needed to get to her before the other witch attacked.

And then suddenly, everything snapped together in front of her. She saw Belatrix crystal clear, face contorted with malice as she faced off with a new opponent, her previous fight with Ginny seemingly forgotten. Then her eyes traveled along the path where the malevolent witch was looking, and Ginny felt her heart nearly stop. There was Sirius - - _her Sirius!_ - - head thrown back in laughter, as he sent a nasty little spell smashing into his cousin's chest. She couldn't block it quickly enough, and as the spell hit her, the flesh exposed by the bagging neckline of her robes smoldered, and began to peel off. Howling with agony and enraged by Sirius's triumphant laughter, Belatrix began firing off curses as fast as she could speak. Dodging, blocking, and countering, Sirius deflected the woman's attacks with an artful grace that Ginny had never before seen practiced in dueling. Suddenly, it was easy to remember that fifteen years ago Sirius Black had been Kingsley Shacklebolt's second-in-command in the Auror's Department at the Ministry. Ginny could see something in his eyes that she had rarely glimpsed, even when they had been together.

So mesmerized was Ginny by the sight of the man before her dueling, that she almost didn't see what was happening. Yes, he was winning the battle against Betralix, but she was in fact winning the war. Because, even though he was hitting her with more spells, she was still managing to back him up. He was being herded, moving closer and closer to the ominous veil standing in the center of the room. It was knowledge, something screaming at the back of Ginny's mind, which told her the reality of the situation: If Sirius crossed behind that veil, he would die. Heart now racing, Ginny began fighting her way through the sea of bodies that stood between her and Sirius. The voices coming from the veil sounded like screaming in her ears now. It was nearly impossible to distinguish what she was hearing. The voices were that of a man, a woman, and a girl. They were urgent, pushing her forward, hissing at her to hurry, before it was too late.

Finally pushing McNair out of her way, the path to Betralix was now clear. There wasn't time to think though, time left only to act or else react. Sirius's feet were mere inches from the threshold of the veil, and as was so often the case with the man that Ginny had given so much of herself to, he was utterly clueless to what was happening. He was having what appeared to be the time of his life, finally outside of that wretched house, doing something to help serve the Order. A scream built in Ginny's throat, as Belatrix raised her wand once again, _This is it_, Ginny thought_. If she hits him, even nicks him, he is going to fall. Sirius will be dead, and it will be your own damned fault. Do something, you stupid cunt! _

Ginny did the only thing that she could think to do. Running forward with a quickness that she had seldom demonstrated, Ginny propelled herself into the witch's side. Arms catching the woman tightly around the middle, the both fell to the ground. Belatrix let out a short wail, which was cut off by Ginny slamming the back of her head against the stone floor repeatedly. It didn't matter that she was a witch, not right then at least. All that Ginny could do was fight, and all that she could think of was blood. The thought of Sirius falling behind the mysterious veil - - the strange voices - - it was too much for her. Something inside of Ginny had finally broken, making the monster within her react to the monster beneath her hands. With stark clarity, Ginny knew that she wanted the witch dead and that she was indeed capable of killing her.

As they fought, with Ginny doing her best to paint the floor with Betralix's brain stem, and the other witch recovered enough to fight back, death became a very real concern. Ginny brought down her fist against the bridge of the older woman's nose, making blood erupt from it like a geyser. A moment later, an enraged Belatrix flipped Ginny onto her back, and brought a gleaming knife to her throat. The women were physically fairly evenly matched; Belatrix bore down onto the hilt of the knife, just as Ginny used every ounce of her strength to fight the fatal blow off. Then faintly, Ginny heard a whisper. It was coming from the veil once again. This time, it was the little girl's voice, speaking so clearly Ginny shivered at the sound of it. "_Tomorrow will never come, with the loss of the second first daughter…"_

_The first daughter of the first daughter will be the only hope…_

Finally, everything made sense. The Mauraders appearance and the strange prophecy that had replayed itself in her mind so many times were not nearly as mysterious; it all had a purpose. Of course she was the first daughter of the first daughter; there had been no girls in her mother's family for over a thousand years before Molly had been born.

_If she cannot save the Betrayed Dog from going beyond, then the Chosen One will fall… _

What would Harry do if something happened to Sirius? How would he live with it? That's just it - - he couldn't. Having already been robbed of his parents, Sirius was the only person in Harry's life that made him feel like he even mattered. To everyone else, he was just a pawn, a symbol of something that he hated. What would Harry do? The poor boy would probably off himself.

Suddenly, Ginny's eyes - - which had closed in her effort to fight off the witch's blade - - flew open, and she was lifting up. Her hands, which had just a moment ago been shaking with the effort to keep the knife away from her throat, were now steady and strong. In one swift motion, Ginny threw herself up, and forward. Belatrix was knocked off of her waist where she had been pinning Ginny to the floor with her own body. She landed in turn on her back, limbs splayed with a look of comical disbelief on her face, her knife having been lost to Ginny's hand. Ginny then used the momentum that she had built throwing Belatrix off to follow her to the ground.

Around her, the battle had stopped. Everyone in the dark chamber had ceased with their own duels, to look on at the scene that was playing out now before them. Ginny Weasley - - the notorious baby of the Weasley clan - - was fighting ruthlessly, quite obviously to the death, against none other than Belatrix Lestrange herself. They had all seen the fight unfold. Watching Sirius take on his cousin had been a sight unto itself, but when Ginny had suddenly thrown herself into the fray, it became impossible for most of the witches and wizards involved with the battle to do anything other than stand there and watch.

Of course, Ginny herself was unaware of any of this. Since first charging at Belatrix, Ginny had indeed paid no mind to anything that was happening around her. She was focused, intent on one thing alone: Belatrix would die. She had to, Ginny realized that now. Somehow, the fate of the wizarding world depended on this woman breathing her last on this night. She had almost killed Sirius, not through skill in a fair fight, but by tricking him into an almost fatal trap. And of course if Sirius died, Harry would kill himself. Of course that couldn't happen because, who is it that had always killed Voldemort? Harry. Sure, every time that Harry defeated the dark wizard, he found some way or another to bring himself back. But Harry was the one who always stopped him, always made sure that he could not get what he wanted. If he died…what would happen if Tom Riddle did achieve his goal?

Ginny shivered, and without another thought, slammed the small sliver knife clutched in her fist down, dead-center into Belatrix's chest. The skin there was already damaged from the curse that Sirius had hit her with minutes ago. The charred, rawness of her skin made it nearly impossible to tell just what she had hit with the blade. _What if it isn't deep enough?_ Ginny thought frantically. _Fuck! Isn't the heart off-center anyway?_ Despite the witch's screams of agony, Ginny found herself pushing the blade in further. She pushed the silver down, as deeply as flesh and bone would allow. Finally, as blood bubbled out of Betralix Lestrange's mouth, and her screams had subsided into choked, wet gurgles, Ginny withdrew the knife. Numbly, she looked down at the body in front of her. Belatrix was dead, and Ginny had killed her. Strangely, she felt very little at the thought.

Standing on shaky feet, Ginny looked down at the knife now loosely held in her hand. It was small, heavy. The blade itself was probably no longer than three inches, with a handle not even that large. The dull shine of metal and weight told her that it was silver, and considering its former owner, was probably older than sin. After staring down at the object for a moment, Ginny drug the blood coated blade across the leg of her jeans. Wiping one side clean, and then the other, Ginny hastily pulled up the side of her shirt and tucked the knife down to the hilt into the waist of her pants.

Only then, did Ginny remember where she was.

**A/N: **So I finally did it to you guys; a cliff-hanger! Sorry, sorry. I know - - I am my own worst enemy on this one too. I absolutely had to do it though; it's taken me forever to get this friggen chapter written! Rest assured, though. My inspiration bunnies are finally hopping again, AND I have a new time-frame when I can write during. Keeping that in mind, here's for hoping that chapter eight will be up before next weekend!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing!

Everything Harry Potter belongs to Missus J. K. Rowling.

**A/N**: The following takes place during Order of the Phoenix.

This story is rated **M** - - for **sexual themes**, **lemons** (that means _sex_, kiddies!), **language**, **violence**, and **pedophilia** (SB/GW - - nothing _more_, and nothing _less_, either).

So, I'm not sure if anyone has wondered about this or not…Figure that I should clarify before there is any confusion, though. Obviously, chapter six was titled 'The Beginning', chapter seven 'The Middle', and this chapter - - eight - - 'The End'. Just so that we are all clear on this, those names have absolutely nothing to do with the plotline of the story. Chapter six is no more the beginning of PP&F anymore than chapter eight will be the end of it. Those titles have only to do with the MoM battle, and the DoM scene.

Clear as icky mud?

g00d ^_^

ALSO, I have an announcement to make! For those of you who have been following PP&F, I have started using a new format (new disclaimer, standard rating warning, and lil' quote). Due to this new format, I have decided to go back through and edit the Prologue-Ch.7. These will all be updated & revised, with the new format AND a few things added. So maybe we will want to reread these, yes? Anyways, I will post a note on my profile when these updates are complete AND I will also update the summary as well. So yeah, enjoy!

**Past, Present, & Future**

**Chapter Eight: The End**

_I am not yours, not lost in you,_

_Not lost, although I long to be_

_Lost as a candle lit at noon,_

_Lost as a snowflake in the sea._

_You love me, and I find you still_

_A spirit beautiful and bright,_

_Yet I am I, who long to be_

_Lost as a light is lost in light._

_Oh plunge me deep in love—put out_

_My senses, leave me deaf and blind,_

_Swept by the tempest of your love,_

_A taper in a rushing wind._

- Sara Teasdale

**xxxxX xxXxx Xxxxx**

___A hundred or more eyes stared, fixed on me. Death Eaters, members of my army - - the Phoenix Army - - and Order members had all stopped their respective battles to watch as Belatrix and I faced-down. Looking at the other woman's pale, lifeless body had affected me less than all of those eyes did now. Seeing everyone's faces, emotions painted raw and naked across them, that is what scared me. I was a murderer now. I had killed, and worse yet, there had been witnesses. It would take very little time for all of London - - all of England, really - - to get word of the incident. Soon, everyone would know of me - - regardless of the fact that very few people actually knew me. All at once, I realized that I would be overshadowed by this woman's death for the rest of my life. _

**xxxxX xxXxx Xxxxx**

THE next day, _The Daily Prophet's_ headlines announced: "WAR BREAKS OUT WITHIN MINISTRY WALLS." Beneath the words, was a chilling picture that had been snapped just moments before the battle had ended. It was a picture of the main hall of the Ministry. The legendary statue of equality, along with dozens of Floo fireplaces were easily identified in the photograph. Less identifiable however, although no less infamous, was the Disapperating form of Lord Voldemort himself. Although cloaked in smoke from the waist down, the serpent-like man was unmistakable. Despite the fact that most wizards who had actually seen the Dark Lord in person had not lived to tell the tale, when people saw that picture, they just _knew_. It was true, after all. Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, and all the rest of the crackpots had been right. The Dark Lord was back; he had risen again.

Aside from the ominous photograph - - snapped by Colin Creevy himself - - there were a handful of other pictures. The fifteen page long article described the night's events with shocking accuracy, not only telling its readers but also _showing_ them the truth. On page two, a picture of a pathetic, sobbing Peter Pettigrew stared back at readers. The caption to this photograph read, "I lied, I lied!" Indeed, this was very possibly the most honest article that the wizard's newspaper had ever printed. Aside from the shocking, and vaguely horrific photographs of the article - - some animated, and some printed by Muggle means - - there were a few lovely pictures as well. A photo of Harry, with his arm around Luna Lovegood, showed the two grim, injured teens. The caption read, "The hero and his heroin." Directly beside that one was an almost identical photo of Ron, locked in an embrace with Hermione. A few other nice pictures were stuck in here and there - - Order members, mixed with members of the Phoenix Army and a few actual Aurors stood united together, facing the media with hero's smiles. Somehow, the only fatalities of this battle had been members of the Dark Lord's army. They had been prepared for the Department of Mysteries to be a trap, for Harry Potter to finally be defeated. Instead, he had arrived with an army, and a fury that no one - - not even Lord Voldemort himself - - had anticipated.

Further on in the article was a picture of Albus Dumbledore, fending off the Killing Curse from the Minister of Magic himself. The Minister had actually been dead for months, the Prophet revealed. Kept alive only through the Imperious Curse itself, Cornelius Fudge had been what was wrong with the Ministry of Magic, it theorized. Apparently, when Hogwarts' Headmaster countered the curse, the spell had been powerful enough to break the Unforgiveable Curse being held over him, too. This, of course, destroyed the magic keeping the dead man's corpse animated. According to the paragraph that followed the picture, there had been talk early that morning of appointing none other than Albus Dumbledore for the position of Minister of Magic due to Fudge's untimely death.

Colin Creevy had done an outstanding job of documenting the Department of Mysteries battle on film, this was indisputable. The images that the young man had managed to capture were unlike anything that England's wizarding world had ever before seen. Of course, there was one photograph - - aside from the one displaying the Dark Lord - - that caught the eye of the _Prophet's_ thousands of subscribers. There, on the final page of the article, was one of the most profound photographs that the newspaper had ever printed. It had been taken just before arrests had started taking place. There, standing over the pale, lifeless body of none other than the escaped convict Belatrix Lestrange herself was Ginny Weasley. The girl's clothes were filthy, jeans and tee-shirt both ripped in various spots and covered in soot. Likewise, there was a deep cut running an inch above her left eyebrow, going on to disappear into her hairline. Her jaw also had a scattering of cuts running along it, and her bottom lip was busted open and seeping blood. Her already pale skin was nearly translucent, seemingly gray in the bright light of the camera's flashbulbs. Her eyes were glossy and wide, staring unblinkingly into the camera. Although obviously battered and exhausted, there was no regret on the girl's face. There was no visible fear, no panic. She had killed an evil woman, and she was not sorry.

Standing beside Ginny in the photograph- - and here, many readers gasped when they read the name - - with his hand clasped protectively on her shoulder, stood the infamous mass-murderer, Sirius Black. The man's hair was long, reaching well past his shoulders and down towards the bottom of his back. His face, showing nothing but a few small lines, was a blank mask. The only sign that he was feeling anything at all were his eyes, which were fixed on Ginny's face. There, as he looked between Ginny and the camera in front of her - - annoyance flashing across his face - - if someone looked long enough, and hard enough, something else could be seen painted across his face. Every third time that Sirius looked from the camera's lens back to the girl standing next to him, his face softened. The corner of his mouth twitched, almost as though he would be smiling if his dead cousin had not been lying at his feet. To the few who knew the history between these two individuals, when they saw this picture they saw promise where before there had been none. Maybe these two people actually had been thinking. Maybe there actually was something between them, something more than a mistake. But of course, only time can ever tell with things like these.

**xxxxX xxXxx Xxxxx**

THE sun hung hot and bright in the sky, as Ginny lay basking in the grass. Her eyes were shielded from the sun's punishing light by the same pair of oversized, black sunglasses that she had put on in Grimmauld Place's entrance hall so many months ago. Thinking about that day, just like the hundreds of days before it, felt surreal anymore. Ginny had not spoken to Sirius since the days following the Department of Mysteries incident. Of course, that was not for lack of his trying. He had sent her letters, being just as careful as they had ever been when they were actually together. They had bumped shoulders in the Ministry a few times, during the time of his reinstatement as chief of the Auror department, when she had been attending the dozens of hearings regarding the murder of Belatrix Lestrange. And as odd as it seemed to her, Ginny could not bring herself to speak to the man. She still loved Sirius; there was no doubt in her mind about that. Even now, just the thought of him sent her heart racing and her mind reeling. He was her first love, her always and forever. He was the person that she would always think of, always compare other men to. But even knowing that her heart would forever be haunted with the thought of Sirius Black was not enough to send her back to him, at least not yet. She had, stupidly, given him everything that she had to give and more still. In return, he had slaughtered her heart. Ginny doubted that she would ever be able to forget the cold distance of his body beneath her fingertips, that night when he had told her that it just wasn't enough anymore.

Despite the conflicting feelings that Ginny had about the Sirius Black that she had lived with in Order headquarters, there was nothing that had kept her from forming a genuine friendship with the teenage Sirius Black that had been sent to the future to save himself. She had grown increasingly found of the boy during the months that she had known him and his two best friends. Of course, her fondness towards him was nothing compared to the feelings that he had spent months developing for her. And Sirius, or at least Sirius's sixteen year-old self, was absolutely amazing. In fact, they were all amazing boys, but that was part of the problem. They were all still boys, Sirius especially. And she liked that about them, really, she did. When they spent time together, they just were. Making fun of each other, playing merciless pranks on one another, playing Quidditch, and taking walks around the school's grounds were just a few of the ways that they had found to pass the time with. They - - Sirius, James, and Remus - - had accepted Ginny as one of them almost as if they had known her forever. What had started out as a desperate attempt to get closer to her so that they could save Sirius from what they had understood to be a fate worse than death, had become something more. They cared about Ginny almost as much as they did one another. Seemingly, they had all made it their mission for the remainder of the time that they had left in the future to make sure that they kept the girl sane.

This was how Ginny Weasley had come to laying in the grass in front of the lake, clad in nothing but a red polka-dot bikini and a pair of her bother Charlie's black hand-me-down cargo shorts. It was so hot; she felt the sensation of melting. _Why in Merlin's name wasn't she inside…?_

"Mooney, why are they doing this to us?" She pouted slightly, as she called over to the pale young man sitting under the tree closest to them. Despite the glamour that Dumbledore had placed on the three young men, the poor boy was still white as a ghost.

"Because they are both evil little buggers." His answer was typical, and made her smile. Of course, her question had been rhetorical. They were outside in the sunlight, spending what would be their last few hours together, ever. They had all sat, huddled against the Astronomy Tower's wall, the entire night. Few words had been spoken, the silence too solemn, too serious for the company. A bottle of Firewhiskey had been passed between them, as Ginny sat sandwiched between Sirius and James. No one had wanted for morning to come, because they all knew that it would be the last time that they would ever be together again. The Marauders would go back to their own time, and Ginny would remain in the present. Eventually, the Potter's would be murdered, and Sirius would wrongfully be sentenced to Azkaban. All the while, Remus would be left alone, struggling to cope with the hand that reality had dealt to them all.

Loud splashing signaled the return of Sirius and James. A shadow fell over Ginny, the object standing between her and the sun's warm rays causing her to frown in annoyance.

"Sirius, you're dripping on me, dammit." Cracking open a single eye, and lifting her sunglasses up, she groaned as the boy suddenly dropped down over her. Crouched above her, held up on his forearms and knees, Ginny giggled as he shook his hair out in her face. The gesture was so doglike, so thoroughly Sirius, that she couldn't help but laugh. "G'off me, you stupid mutt! You're friggen' soaked you twit!" Struggling to push the boy off of her between laughs, she didn't notice when James snuck up beside her. Grabbing her arms, as Sirius grabbed her by the legs they drug her across the grass. Ignoring her protests, Sirius said to James as they swung her precariously close to the water's edge, "What do you think mate? Should we dunk her?" One last definitive swing, and Ginny was flying through the air, and then plunging into the ever-cold water. Resurfacing, she sputtered and choked through the words she was screaming at the two hysterical boys in front of her. Back by his tree, Remus had a grin spread across his face that reached ear-to-ear, amused by his friend's antics, but still emphatic for the red haired girl in the water.

Once Ginny was out of the water, and had Bat-bogeyed the two James and Sirius until they had begged for mercy, things calmed down. The four friends gathered at the lake's edge, sitting in compatible silence. In front of them, the sun was setting. Their time together was now down to minutes, no longer months, weeks, days, or hours. They had been told by Hogwarts new Headmistress - - McGonagall had taken up the post in the days following Dumbledore's election into the Ministry - - to be in her office at seven o'clock that night. When she sent them back, they would not remember anything. That thought, more than anything else, is what made tears sting behind Ginny's eyes. She would remember the Marauders forever, and they would never know her as anything other than another Weasley. Except for Sirius. Which made her wonder, what had happened between them, really? Had the Sirius that she loved so much ever actually loved her back, or had the feelings that he had held for her - - when he had been sent to the future to save himself - - just carried over, despite the _Obliviate_ that they were about to receive from the Headmistress? The thought was enough to make her weep. She was lost, utterly confused, and about to be along again.

**xxxxX xxXxx Xxxxx**

THE departure of the Marauders impacted Ginny worse than even she could have imagined. Although she had never been what anyone would consider popular, Ginny had always had friends. There had always been Luna, Collin, Neville, and her brothers…a few of them anyway. Ever since the battle at the Department of Mysteries, though, her friends had all fallen away. With Sirius, James, and Remus around, sadness had been a hard feeling to accomplish. They had kept her busier than she thought was humanly possible, always planning and always scheming. That busyness had been just what the doctor had ordered, too. It had kept her from having to confront any of the various demons that plagued her during the hours of sleep. The confusion that was Sirius Black, coupled with the ever present question of why had he broken up with her to being with? _Why hadn't it been enough?_ Her parents growing disappointment in her always weighed heavy on her heart; her mother's refusal to accept the person that she really had only grown worse since she had killed Belatrix. That act, that one single, solitary act had managed to nearly destroy the small semblance of a life that she had managed to build for herself in the wake of the Chamber of Secrets. The friends that had always stood by her side, the handful of people that had finally convinced her that she would never have to be alone - - they had all fallen away, one by one. Her family, who hadn't been the fondest of her for years, really, had shunned her. In fact, the only brothers who would even speak to her anymore were Fred and George. They had actually offered her an invitation to move into their flat in Diagon Alley with them, and a summer job as a shop hand and bookkeeper. Her room wouldn't be much, they said. But, hey, anything was better than the alternative, right? Of course, if she did move in with them, she would be doing it against her parent's wishes. Ginny knew damn well that she would receive little to no compassion from her father - - who would be afraid to go against her mother's wishes - - and nothing but hostility from her mother. No, if she were to leave the Burrow a day before her seventeenth birthday, then that would be the end of it. She would be exiled and disowned, her name becoming a taboo in her parent's presence.

If the past three months had been any indication though, Ginny knew that something had to change. Hogwarts, the single place that should make any and every student feel welcome and accepted, had become a miserable life. The Phoenix Army's numbers had been cut nearly in half, because no one, it seemed, felt safe enough around a murderer to learn anything. Now, the summer was almost here. Soon, it would be time to put the great castle to her back once again. Ginny had no idea what to expect of this next summer. She lived day-to-day anymore, always yearning for something different, somewhere new. She was so tired of this place, with snakes around every corner. Ironically enough, Draco Malfoy, the actual snake of Hogwarts, was literally the only person who would even talk to her anymore. Not even her professors liked meeting her eyes these days, and they certainly weren't striking up conversation in the halls. All of this, this exile had put what Ginny had already known into greater perspective. When it came down to it, she had only herself. She had a choice coming, she could feel it. Ginny could not live like this forever; she could not always be an outcast for killing someone who deserved to die. She was tired of everyone trying to shape her, trying to fit her so desperately into a box that they were splitting its sides open as they crushed her. She needed to think carefully now, needed the hours on the train ride home to decide what her next move was. She had begun to hate her life, hate everything about living. She wished that she could just go somewhere else, be someone else. Her life wasn't working anymore, that much was obvious. The question then, was, how could she change it?

**xxxxX xxXxx Xxxxx**

**A/N**: Sooo…review? You know you want to! I'm sorry that this chapter was so small, and so terribly choppy…I thought that the flow worked well, though. I know that this chapter was very….reflective. It was supposed to be though. I'm building to something, promise. Also, I case it wasn't clear enough, Ginny's life is about to get seriously f'ed up. Not necessarily in bad ways though…


	10. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: **I _so _don't own it. If ever I were anywhere near as filthy rich as Jo Rowling, it would be from due to the publishing of like, a vampire erotica novel or something. Or like, a zombie-apocalypse-turned-love-story or something. Anyway, that day is not today, and J.K Rowling still owns the shit outta Harry Potter.

**A/N: **Hello again people! I wonder as I type this, if there are still any devout PP&F fans other than the amazing rockrose?! If there are, then I hope that ya'll will enjoy this chapter. Life has been insane for a while now, but as seeing as I am now expecting my second little baybay, I hope to continue on with this story!

**ALSO: **For any new readers...this story is rated **M** for a reason. I LOVE Ginny and Sirius, and I write them the way that my imagination twists them. Keeping that in mind, no one can ever be sure what I'm going to throw out there, so be ready for sexual content, violence, language, pedophilia and like, all other possibilities.

**Chapter Nine: Changes**

_**Please believe that things**_

_**are good with me, and even**_

_**when they're not, **_

_**they will be soon enough.**_

_-The Perks of Being A Wallflower,_

by Stephen Chbosky

xxxX xxXxx Xxxx

GINNY BLINKED AGAINST the bright rays of sunlight streaming through the train compartment's window. Glancing at the worn watch on her left wrist, she saw that it was nearly five o'clock. The watch, much like everything else that any Weasley possessed, was a hand-me-down. Originally a present that Bill had received from their father at the start of his first year, the watch had slowly made its way down the line of red-haired siblings until it had reached her last year. By this point, the black leather of the watch had to a deep gray and it's glass face was deeply gouged in places. Regardless of its state though, Ginny couldn't help the small smile that almost always appeared on her face when she looked at it. The watch reminded her of Bill, who had always been one of her favorite brothers. Having something of his made her feel like somehow, despite how fucked up everything in her life was, she still had family.

Stretching her arms above her head, Ginny winced as she heard popping resound along her spine. She was alone on the Hogwarts Express; alone in her compartment at least. By this point though, Ginny had grown accustomed to her solitude. It had been months since the battle at the Department of Mysteries, and life had yet to return to normal for her. _Normal? _Ginny thought with a snort. Stretching her legs out in front of her on the bench seat, the read head straightened the hem of her blue tee-shirt before running a hand across her face. Normal was a concept that Ginny had not known for years. However, for a moment in time, she had found a sort of balance. Peace, almost. During the time that she had been with Sirius, her life had felt...good. Not normal, or conventional by any means...but good. For a few months, Ginny had let her guard down, and she had paid for it ever since. Of course, Ginny had known better – Tom Riddle himself had taught her better, for Merlin's sakes!

There was something about Sirius Black though, well, no. The problem that was making it so hard for Ginny to deal with what had happened between the two of them, was that it wasn't just there was _something_ about the man. No. Everything about Sirius Black, everything that made him who he was, were also the things that drove Ginny to him. Even now, months later, after everything that had happened she still couldn't get past it. She had seen the man twice since the battle in the DoM. The first time, was in the newly appointed headmistress office. The second, was during her trial in front of the Wizengamot.

Yes, aside from her usual exile from life itself, many things had changed. Obviously, when word got out that Voldemort was indeed back, as Dumbledore had been preaching from the get-go, he had been elected for office. At first he had declined, stating that he had no desire for such power, and in his stead he recommended none other than her own father, Arthur Weasley. That of course had not gone over well _at all _in circles outside of the Order; the man was considered a crack-pot in many esteemed circles due to his muggle fascination. With society as a whole declining Dumbledore's recommendation, and talk of electing a less...desirable candidate arose, the old wizard had caved and eventually taken the post. With his election, came a mad flurry of changes within the the Ministry. Due to the staggering hold that Voldemort still had over much of Britain, new security measures had been enforced. All Ministry employees as well as officials were given the choice of either walking, or else being interrogated under Veritaserum to decide their loyalty. In addition, all forearms were inspected for the Dark Mark, and all remaining officials were forced to make Unbreakable Vows to the ministry ensuring their loyalties, if they wished to stay.

Many people were shocked by the Minister's extremism, but for once, Ginny actually found herself admiring her former headmaster for his caution. It seemed to her that the old man was finally ready to be the leader that the people needed him to be, and not just the strategist whom he fancied himself as being. Regardless of the wisdom behind the man's actions, many within the ministry were furious. Dozens of people left, just as dozens more were outed as Death Eaters. The insane loss of hands on deck at the Ministry left it vulnerable, and because of that, extreme actions had to be taken. It was during that time of floundering, that Ginny read of Sirius Black's full pardon by the minister himself, as well as his full reinstatement in the ministry as Kingsley Shacklebolt's second in the Auror department. Her father also gained a promotion, thought it was not what anyone had expected. Arthur Weasley became the first known Unspeakable..._ever. _No one knew what his job was, and from what Ginny had gathered he was being quite tight-lipped about it all. It was a hell of a promotion though, and all the Weasleys were proud of the man; even Ginny, despite her blacker than black-sheep status.

At that time that all that was taking place in the Ministry, Hogwarts was changing as well. Gaining a new headmistress in the form of Professor McGonagall, the students happily welcomed all the woman's proposals to the staff. In many of the student's minds, no one and nothing could ever be as bad as Umbridge. Immediately, McGonagall assigned Professor Flitwick as her deputy, which sent the little man into a fit of sputtering through his delight. Obviously busy with all of her newly acquired responsibilities, the headmistress had also announced at the end of the year feast the previous night that the start of the next term would bring with it many more changes; Ginny had looked up only to realize with a jolt that the woman had stared at her as she spoke. Only time would tell what that had all been about.

As Ginny felt the train begin to slow, she began putting away the few random odds and inns she had strewn across the seat across from her. Grabbing her bag, a dark green muggle satchel which she had charmed to expand and accommodate at her will which she had begun decorating with random pins she acquired, she began placing her things carefully back into it. Picking up her _MP3 _player, which Hermione had gotten for her for Christmas, she carefully wound her headphones around it before tucking it away. Much like her father, Ginny also loved almost everything muggle; Hermione was just one of the few people who were aware of it. Next she picked up the heavy tome she had read before drifting off, _Malicious Magics & Their Practical Defense, _and shoved it in. With a weary sigh, Ginny glanced at the rack above her head and glared at her battered red chest. This was going to suck.

After her trial, where not only did Dumbledore fully pardon her of the murder of Bellatrix Lestrange, but also award her an Order of Merlin, First Class for the bravery she had shown in the defense of one of his head Aurors. What garbage. Ginny had sat silently through the trial, ignoring the theatrics of the dried up old council before her. Ginny hadn't wanted to be there, hadn't wanted to be within five-hundred miles of the man who was sitting just behind her. Yes, Ginny had saved Sirius from a foolish death, but she still didn't like him anymore than she did that last day when she had left Grimmauld Place. Sure, she still loved him, was still in love with him...but that didn't mean that she had to like him. No, she was still far too pissed for words like, "like". After the trial, as she raced for the Floo on the second floor which she knew would take her back to Hogwarts, he had tried to speak with her, but she had brushed past him without a word. Nothing that he had to say would be enough.

With the fireplace in sight, she was finally cut short of her destination by her father. They had spoken, briefly. If you could call it that. He was angry though, that she had kept secrets, that she had fought, that she had an entire army trained in secret, for Merlin's sakes! And...why had she killed Bellatrix? Why? Ginny did not have words to express her thoughts; the disappointment etched across her fathers face made her throat burn and her arms tremble. He was angry, yet so was she. No one understood; no one in her family had ever tried to understand anything about Ginny. When she was a small girl she had always lived in the shadow of her brothers, never big enough to be included, but always small enough to be forgotten. She had tried to be the little girl that her parents had always wanted, but she didn't fit into the shoes of that person. She loved Quidditch, she taunted her brothers just to make them fight, because she loved fighting! She would run off for hours to climb trees and jump out of them. Eventually Fred, George, and even Bill to a lesser extent began to see her for who she was and accept her, but then Tom Riddle happened, and she was shattered.

In the months after the Chamber, while she was hauled up in her room recovering both physically as well as mentally from the many hazy days she had spent under Tom's influence, Ginny began to understand. The only way to heal from this was to let go of the little girl that everyone had always wanted for her to be and become the person who she had only ever allowed herself to be in secret. For months, with family tip-towing around her like she was glass, never speaking to her for loss of anything to say to _poor Ginny_, she changed. And one day, _just like that, _because no one had paid any attention in the meantime, Ginny had changed. She walked down stairs with her hair hanging in loose waves, wearing a too-small shirt and too-big ripped jeans with red trainers, and she wasn't Ginny anymore. Not to them anyway, not who they thought she should have been. This girl walked with something coiled inside of her, that showed every time that her eyes flashed as she assessed the room. This girl felt dangerous, and no one knew how to handle it. Once again, it was Fred and George who accepted her; eventually it was like she was their third twin. Anyone who messed with her got pranked with a malice that was remarkable, even from those two.

And that was when Ginny realized it. Standing there waiting for her father to quit screaming at her, Ginny simply shook her head. The twins were the only ones who had ever accepted her, they had almost always been there for her, and once again they were there trying to protect her. Harry had loaned them the money for the investment, and they had taken the leap and started the joke shop that they had always dreamed about. They hadn't bothered finishing their seventh year, because school had never really mattered to them. They wrote to her and offered her a job and a room; now she was ready to make her choice.

"Dad," she had said. His words trailed off, realizing that she had finally spoken. "Save it, okay? I'm not coming home. The twins offered me a job and a room, so I'm taking it. I know damn well what the lot of you think of me, so just fuckin' _save it_."

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Trunk finally secured in her bag, Ginny brushed off the thighs of her pants as she stood. Running fingers through her hair, she furrowed her eyebrows together as she tried to calculate whether she had everything that she would need. Her trunk literally held almost every one of her possessions. At the beginning of the previous summer, her father had told her to pack like she may never be returning because no one knew if the house would still be standing the next time that they saw it. At the time that he had told her that, there had been no way for the man to know just how true his words would prove to be. Nodding to herself, Ginny slung her bag over her shoulder as she slid the door of her compartment open. One thing that had not changed since her and Sirius's...breakup...was that she was still dressing pretty average. Today she had on a ripped pair of faded flare jeans with a single flower patch on her inner thigh, a blue tee-shirt that hit above her bellybutton, and her faithful red trainers. Her hair was down long, mussed from running her hand through it constantly, the ends had begun trying to curl. The only makeup she wore was a bit of black liner and mascara and clear gloss. Honestly, it was the most effort she had been able to bother putting into her appearance for a while.

Pushing her way through the hordes of students trying to all exit the train at the same time, Ginny tried like hell to ignore them all. Still, everywhere she went people whispered, and even pointed her out outright. With a roll of her eyes, Ginny pushed past a group of terrified looking firsties and stepped onto the platform. Ginny knew with a certainty that this moment had the potential to be disastrous. Her parents were there, waiting for Ron. There were two men who Ginny didn't recognize flanking her parents, who Ginny assumed must be fellow Unspekables. And of course a little further down the platform was Sirius, who Ginny knew must be waiting for Harry. Sighing, she stood a moment in indecision unsure of how to proceed. She knew that he brothers would be there soon, knew that one or the other of them must just be running behind as usual. Still though, her parents had already seen her and were now glaring at her icily while she stared fixedly at a random point above the barrier. _Please, kill me now before I do it myself..._At least Sirius hadn't seemed to spot her, yet. Glancing his direction, she cursed as she saw Remus walk over to him and look at her. Well, shite. So much for him not seeing her.

Great. Now her parents were glaring at her, Sirius was giving her his damned puppy eyes, Remus was looking torn, and now Harry was standing next to them with Hermione looking troubled. _Gag me with a fuckin' stick! Where the hell were the twins?!_ Just as Ginny was about to say screw it and walk to the joke shop alone, she heard someone call her name. Looking around, she was shocked to see none other than Draco Malfoy strutting over to her.

"Pop your eyeballs back into your head luv, you look a bit daft standing there oggoling me like that. Makes a bloke feel a bit violated, to tell the truth." Rolling her eyes at the blond, Ginny couldn't help the small smile that fluttered over her mouth.

"Yeah, sorry about that. It's just, ya know...difficult...fighting those...urges...that you instill within me, Malfoy." He smirked, taking another step towards her. Ginny didn't look away from him, although she could practically feel eyes burning into them. "What do you want Draco?"

"Maybe I just wanted to wish you a happy summer, ever think of that you little bint?" Ginny took another step toward him, and shook her head. Things with this boy were never that easy. They stood so close now, her chest was rubbing against his. She could feel the heat coming from him; blushing, she realized all at once that Draco was every bit as tall as Sirius. Shaking her head at the thought, she began stepping back, before strong arms wrapped around her waist preventing her from moving. "Dra- -"

Her words were suddenly cut off by his lips gently pressing against her. The kiss was innocent, almost. A lot more innocent than the last time that they had kissed, at least. His lips were hot, and soft against her own and for a moment, all that she could smell was him. Spicy, cold and strangely like cherries. And then all at once, it was over as quickly as it had begun. Gasping slightly, Ginny tugged a hand through her hair. Lips against her ear, "I don't want to be like my bloody father, Ginny." Then with an almost apologetic smile and a shrug, Draco turned and was gone just as quickly as he had come.

Confused, and almost terrified to stay in case any spectators recovered from their shock before she did, Ginny did the only thing that she could think of. She fled.

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A/N: So...did it bomb? Or was it alright? Lemmie know people! If I get some reviews maybe my inspiration bunnies will start hopping again. I'll try for another chapter soon!


	11. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** Defiantly not mine, nope.

**A/N:** Updating again? So soon?! Yup.

As always, this story is rated **M. **And that folks, is for a reason.

ALSO, for any of you Ginny/Sirius shippers who want to kill me for the Draco stuff...worry not. This is a G/S story, they just have a lot of, erm, time to cover. Also, they are both a bit mad, Ginny is still VERY young, and really...Sirius just doesn't strike me as the type to commit easily.

**Chapter Ten: A New Home**

"_In three words I can sum up_

_everything I've learned about_

_life: it goes on."_

_-_Robert Frost

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IT TURNS OUT, living with the twins was maybe one of the best things that had ever happened to me. Fred and George seemed to understand me, or at least it seemed like they were trying like hell to. Their joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezers, sat at number 93, Diagon Alley. For Ginny, living in the Alley was amazing, even if there was a war going on and she was on the top of Voldemort's most-wanted list. Over the course of the few weeks that Ginny had lived with the twins, she had begun to develop a...functional...routine for the first time in her life. Of course she still wasn't really sleeping, but that was no big news. She hadn't _really _slept since before Tom. Keeping that in mind, it was no big deal for her to wake up before the sun was even up most mornings; for the first time in her entire life, Ginny had begun to enjoy her days.

This particular day, Ginny was especially glad to find herself awake after her body had jarred itself awake from inside of her dream. Drenched in cold sweat, Ginny sat up shaking her head, trying to convince her mind that it had indeed been, only a dream. Talking herself out of her fear was hard, because it really hadn't been a dream. Tom was real, and so was everything that she had just relived in her dream. The past was the past though, so for now Ginny would just have to let her fear go until she fell asleep again. Ginny sighed as she reached over and turned on her bedside lamp, blinking against the sudden light. Looking around her room, she smiled slightly as she remembered again that this was her new home. The room wasn't large by any means, but it was still bigger than her bright pink shoebox at the burrow. This room even had a closet. Weeks ago, when she had showed up here just as the twins were about to walk out the door to meet her at King's Cross, the room had been empty, save for a fluffy full-sized bed tucked the far corner near the window. They had told her that it wasn't much, but it was hers, and that whatever she'd like for it they would give her the gold for.

Since then, she had painted the walls a pale purple color, with the trim and doors a deep plum. Aside from the bed, there was now also a very tall bookshelf facing her bed, and a nightstand beside it. Further along the wall, towards the french-door closet, stood a low dresser with many small drawers, and a tall, wide mirror sitting atop it. The last piece of furniture was a small desk next to the door, with a black stool tucked beneath it. Two small glass lamps with deep red shades were all the light in the room save for the window, but Ginny didn't mind. Her bedding was fluffy and black, with silky sheets and small white flowers embroidered across the spread. The curtain hanging across her window was silky white material, and matched the spread quite well.

Walking into the only bathroom, which was just down the hall from her own room, Ginny quickly started the shower and climbed in. Twenty minutes later, she was back in her room getting dressed. She could tell just by glancing through the window that today was going to be another hot, humid day in the making. After wrapping her towel around her long hair, Ginny pulled on matching underwear and a black bra. The shorts she had grabbed were shorter than she remembered, making her believe that she had accidentally mucked them up in the wash. Sighing in annoyance, she squirmed them over her ass and took the towel off of her hair. Tossing her locks for a moment before adding some moose and shaking her head, Ginny threw a black muggle tee-shirt on. It fit well, not too tight or baggy, and it had a neat silhouette of a yellow bat across the chest. Quickly, Ginny brushed gloss over her lips and put in a small pair of silver hoop earrings. Adding a small amount of purple liner and black mascara, she dove into her closet before pulling out a pair of flat black leather sandals with silver studs across the thin straps. Yes, Ginny was enjoying the new purchases she had made with some of the money that she had earned working.

A few minutes later, Ginny walked through their flat quietly, grinning as she placed emptied bottles of butter beer and old take-out cartons in a trash bag. The twins seemed to be enjoying her routine as well; due to how early she got up, they were able to sleep in. Thus, most nights saw the twins staying up later than even herself, drinking, watching muggle films, and playing cards. It made Ginny happy that she could help them have some fun by taking the early shift; it kept her from feeling like a burden to work and know that she was actually being useful.

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BY NOON, GINNY had already sold over a thousand gallons worth of merchandise to eager Hogwarts students. By now, her feet were sore and her head was killing her. But, when she saw Fred coming down the stairs with damp hair, she knew that her shift was done with for now. Smiling, he came up and planted a smacking kiss on her cheek, while George simultaneously did the same on her other side. Squealing in protest, she glared at them as she closed the register and handed the firstie in front of her his change. The boy had bought just about one of everything that they had, and Ginny made a mental note to make sure no one picked on the kid one they were back at the castle.

"SO, what's the what - -"

"And what have the hoards been like -"

"This fine sweltering day?" They finished together. Ginny deadpanned at them, before blowing the hair out of her face and grinning at them."Truly? It's been a busy one, boys. Just after noon and we've already banked nearly a thousand gallons. Not too bad, yeah?" Her brothers grinned at her, before laughing diabolically. _O-kay_..."So, you guys are evil now...?" She asked with brows knit together.

"Oh, Ginnykins...you just - -" Fred began, before being taken by laughter once again.

"Don't understand, do you?" George continued now beaming at her.

"Ah," she said, eyes wide as she looked between the two. "No...?"

"Before you got here - -" George was interrupted by the now calm Fred.

"Business was nearly crap. I mean, sure, the students are back now...but I'm pretty sure that you're like, our best marketing technique _ever." _Ginny considered his words for a moment, before cashing out of the register with her wand and grabbing her bag from beneath the counter.

"So, what you're telling me," she said as she headed up the stairs to change her top. The tee-shirt had become too hot for the day. "Is that you lot are willing to _pimp out _your baby sister for good business?" Reaching the stairs she dramatically spun, leveling her most stern glare at the two. Twitching, with mirrored looks of remorse across their faces, it was George who spoke first.

"Well, if it makes it any better Gin," he said, mirth now dancing in his eyes, "you're like a famous murderer now. We could probably stick you in a brown bag and you'd still have people flanking us with business to gawk at ya."

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A while later Ginny was walking into Gringots to make a deposit for her brothers. As she walked through the massive steel doors in front of her, she sighed when the cool air hit her skin. Earlier when she had changed, Ginny put on a pale pink thin strapped shirt with black pinstripes. It was loose beneath her chest, cut low in the front and tied at her back. A good choice in the heat, but the material was far too thin inside the drafty stone building. Approaching the tall desk before her, Ginny removed her large black glasses and carefully placed them in her bag.

"Yes?" Asked the ancient goblin before her, although his tone made it more of a statement than a question.

"I need to make a deposit, for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezers." She returned the goblins glare tenfold, as she fought the urge to stick her tongue out at him.

"Fine." Sighing, he said, "Follow me."

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"HARRY, OH MY God, look! It's Ginny!" The girl in question groaned as she heard the unmistakable voice of Hermione Granger carry through the Leaky Cauldron. Ginny sighed, setting the large book she had been reading down before ruefully glancing towards the girl who was rushing towards her. _Oh. No, not just Hermione and Harry. Bloody hell no, they brought Remus and Sirius too. Wow! _With a blur of frizzy hair, Ginny was attacked by the older girl. Gasping for breath, Ginny tried to pry the girls arms from around her neck. "'Mione...'m can't breaph..." Quickly letting go, Hermione wiped at her cheeks quickly trying to hid her tears. "Oh, I'm so sorry Ginny! I just, well we saw you – _I _saw you – and I've just felt _so awful _for the way that I treated you after, well after _you know - -!" _Hermione's rant was mercifully cut off by Harry's fit of laughter. "Merlin Hermione, give her some room!" Ginny smiled, sincerely this time, as she was hugged by Harry. After everything that had happened last term, it wasn't so much that Harry had quit speaking to Ginny, as they just fell away from each other for a while.

It's brilliant to see you again Gin," Harry said with a smile. Looking a question at her, after motioning behind him with his eyes Ginny tried not to grimace. _He wanted to know know if they could have lunch together...well didn't that just sound...hellish. _Sighing, Ginny did her best to muster a grin that didn't make her look feral. "So guys...care for some lunch?"

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A while later, everyone was seated around Ginny's previously secluded table. Ginny sat with her back still facing the wall, so that she had a clear view of the door. Harry and Hermione were seated across from her, Remus between Harry and Sirius, which left Sirius next to her. _Of course. _Ginny tried not to hunch her shoulders, or squirm her legs. She had sex with the man for Merlin's sakes! Lots of sex, dirty, dirty, delicious sex...shaking her head, she realized after a moment that everyone was staring at her. "Um...I'm sorry, what was that?" Harry glanced between her and Sirius, before repeating himself. "I asked how you were enjoying your summer, Gin." _Oh. Right. _"It's been alright. The shop's been doing pretty well, and the twins and I have always gotten along smashingly." _Smashingly? Really Ginny? _Dammit. Sirius's leg had just touched hers again. Merlin, this was stupid. Next to Sirius, Remus cleared his throat. "Well, that's wonderful Ginny. I know that this situation isn't necessarily ideal, but at least it's working out well."

Once their food arrived, conversation let up, but became less forced. Ginny mostly listened to the others talk, while she munched happily on her turkey melt. That was, until Hermione decided that it was a good idea to talk again. "So Ginny," Ginny glanced up past her sandwich and raised her eyebrows at the girl, encouraging for her to go on.

"Are you and Mal- Draco I mean, together now?" Hermione nervously asked. Shocked by her words, Ginny choked on the bite she had swallowed, as she felt Sirius tense up next to her. After a few moments of sputtering and coughing, Ginny finally managed to breath. "W-what the bloody hell are you on about woman?!" Ginny looked from Hermione to Harry, and then over to Remus. Beside her, Sirius snorted before finishing his glass of firewhisky. "Right." He muttered, popping another french fry into his mouth. Ginny turned in her seat to glare at the man next to her, resisting the urge to throttle him. "Well, Ginny...it's just, we all saw you two at the train station. You kissed him!" Hermione blushed as she said this, as though the prospect off kissing Draco Malfoy was just _that embarrassing. _Maybe to the other girl, it was. Obviously they had different taste in men. _Ew_, Ginny thought while fighting the urge to go drink a poison. _Hermione wants to shag my brother! _

"Well, yeah. _He _did kiss _me, _but it was like, a friendly kiss. I mean, Malfoy's a really friendly bloke!"

Now, everyone was looking at her like she'd grown a third head. A _very large_ third head. Everyone but Sirius, that is. He just looked pissed. "Right," he said once again. "I'll bet all the blokes are friendly to you, aren't they Gin?" Ginny's eyes snapped wide open, and she let out a startled laugh. "Oh," she said. "That's what you think, is it? Careful Sirius, you almost sounded like you cared there for a sec, luv." Face reddening in anger - _why was he so bloody angry? -_ Sirius said, "Of course I care, you stupid little bint!" Around them, Harry, Hermione and Remus watched the argument take place like a Quidditch game. Hands trembling with the need to somehow release her frustration, Ginny leaned in dangerously close to the older man, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "You listen here and you listen well, _Sirius Orion Black! _Don't you bloody well sit there and tell me how much you care; that's _shite_! You told me that it didn't matter; that _I _didn't fucking matter you wanker!"

Sucking a ragged breath between her teeth as she stood, Ginny was barley aware of where she was at that moment.

"I love you Sirius," she said, bright blue eyes cutting into his own shadowy gray. "But, you want to throw me away, and then act like a bloody child as soon as someone else shows interest? If you recall, none of this was my bleedin' choice, so don't you dare sit there and act like a martyr, you bloody wanker."

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LATE THAT NIGHT, Ginny sat on the floor of Fred and George's small apartment in front of the open refrigerator. It was still unbearably hot throughout the apartment, due to the lack of windows and central air. At least they had fans. And a fridge. Even in short-shorts and a thin white tank-top, it was still miserable. Sighing, Ginny stretched her legs in front of her as she took another bite of ice cream. Footsteps coming from her left alerted her to the presence of one of her brothers; looking up, she saw it was George. Taking a moment to salute him with her spoon, she grinned at him before taking another bite. "Uh-oh," George said as she handed him a butterbeer from behind him.

"That's a suspiciously large tub of rocky-road for - -" he took a long drink of his beer.

"As big of as smile as you just gave him." Fred finished as he walked in, grabbing the butterbeer that Ginny also presented to him. The twins looked nearly as miserable as she did, although they of course were a bit more used to it at this point. George, who slid the chair across from him out with his foot for his twin, wore faded green shorts and a black tank-top. Fred just had on a pair of blue jeans. Each had been wearing their hair longer than usual, probably another rebellious attempt against their mother, despite their age. George just wore his shoulder-length hair long, where Fred had asked Ginny to twist his into a somewhat feminine looking knot on the back of his head earlier that day.

"Well, you know. It's hot outside. Ice cream is good for the heat." Ginny waited a few moments before looking up, and barley caught the look that the twins shared across the table. "Mufft?" she asked, mouth filled with ice cream. When neither responded, she asked again, this time clearly. "What?" They shared another look, making her growl in frustration. "Gingin," Fred started. "We're - -"

"The good brothers!" George continued for him.

"We know what you like - -"

"And what you hate -"

"For the most part, that is." Sharing another look, Fred turned and looked at her, resting his elbows on his knees. "And one thing that we've noticed in the past few years," George turned to mirror his twins stance. "Ginbug," George said, with a small smile. "You _hate _ice cream." Ginny stopped eating, mid-bite. "I do, don't I?" With two assuring nods, she dejectedly placed the lid of back onto the carton and stood, placing it back into the freezer. "So," Fred said and a casual tone. "Are you going to tell us what just made you go all Molly Weasley on that ice cream? Or..." glancing at his twin, he left the silent threat lay. Sighing, Ginny walked to the cabinet above the sink and, going up on tip-toes because she was the only Weasley other than Charlie who had been cursed by a severe height inadequacy, she came back to the table with a large mostly empty bottle of firewhiskey. Raising their eyebrows at her, Ginny ignored her brother's question until after she had taken a few large gulps of the whiskey. "What do you want to know?" The twins looked steadily at her, before nodding the affirmative at each other.

"Everything." George said.

"Everything?" Ginny asked, rubbing her temples as she propped her elbows on the table where she sat between her brothers in a roundtable fashion.

"Absolutely." George confirmed.

"From the beginning, too. No bloody skipsies, Gin." Fred told her threateningly.

"Look Forge, I'm not sure that I can do that."

"Why not?" They asked her as one.

"Because," she said, sighing. "I don't know where the beginning is anymore."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, contemplating that. "Well," George said slowly. "Why don't you start with the Chamber?"

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"So..." Fred trailed off, scratching his head.

"To recap- - " George said, drumming his fingers against the tabletop. Ginny had nearly finished the bottle of whiskey. Glancing up at the circular red clock hanging on the wall near the door, she could dimly make out that the hands were telling her that it was five minutes until four in the morning. She sighed, rubbing the back of her hands against her forehead.

"The diary business...it pretty much bloody well destroyed you." Ginny nodded slowly; her head was feeling pretty heavy by this point.

"Which yea ...knew already that, mate." George said, as he stood and retrieved three butterbeers from the fridge.

"So you started practicin' up on your Defense - -"

"And became a bloody BAMF!" Ginny, stopped nodding, looking questioningly at Fred/

"A Bamf?" She asked, whiskey making his words seem hazy to her.

"A BAMF, Gin- -" George told her proudly.

"Yea baby sis, A 'BAMF'. Not a 'Bamf'." Fred shot her an overly bright, as though she were just _so _bloody ickle.

"Which is...?" She asked, eyes closing as her face screwed up in annoyance.

"A Bad Ass-"

"Mother Fucker, o'course Ginbug!" George looked at Fred. Wiping a pretend tear from his eye. "Ah, I always forget just how young she truly is brother dear." Sighing, Ginny glanced up at the clock again. "Listen mates, could we please get a bloody move on with this? I'm pretty smashed, and we're going to be opening in a few hours."

"Right," George said, setting his beer down and leaning in towards her. Across from him, Fred did the same, leaving Ginny with the uncomfortable sense of being interrogated. "So, the bleedin' diary, the BAMF-y-ness- -"

"The PA- -" Fred was interrupted again by George.

"No, you bloody _wanker! _That isn't how it went at all. Ginny didn't start the PA until _after _her and Sirius were shagging!" Slapping a hand against her head at her brother's honesty, Ginny downed the last bit of her whiskey. On either side of her, the twins had fallen suddenly quiet. Looking twitchy, the also downed the last of their drinks; Ginny had finished her own butterbeer a while back.

"Right...so, pedophilia and bloody unwanted images aside! After the Phoenix Army, the little time travelers joined the party -"

"You and Sirius became part of the great an' terrible soddin' prophecy, which was inadvertently linked to Harry-boy...we THINK..." George banged his head down on the table, much as Ginny herself had done a few times over the course of the past few hours.

"Sirius and I...ceased our relationship." It was hard for Ginny to think of what had happened as her getting dumped. The term just didn't sit right with her. Saying that things had _ceased _made more sense to her mind, because it's whats happened, wasn't it? They were...and then they just weren't anymore.

"Right. Then you and the soddin' little worm _Ferret _started getting' all snuggley- -"

"Forge, I am NOT _snuggley _with Malfoy!" Huffing in annoyance, Ginny glared at the offending twin, George, while Fred picked up.

"Ickle little _Ronnikins _betrayed you...us...the bloody toe rag..."

"The PA kicked the bloody _shite _out of the Death Eaters at the Ministry- -"

"And then you killed Bella. Right?" Nodding deftly at George.

"That pretty much covers the shite out of the past few years, in a vague way, yea."

"So, you were never in love with Harry, then?" Fred asked her, clarifying.

"Like, yes. Obsession for a bit, yes. Love? Bloody _hell no_. Though we are pretty good friends."

Nodding, George asked her,"And your not dating Malfoy? Just snogging the little bastard, yeah?"

Groaning in frustration, Ginny shook her head. "Lets just put that subject onto a little box marked 'friends', and call it a day, shall we?" Nods.

"And tonight, earlier. You were gorging on ice cream- -"

"Which everyone knows you _hate- -"_

"Because Harry and co. showed up at the Leaky during lunch and Sirius mixed signaled you. Yeah?" Fred asked with raised eyebrows.

"I wouldn't say that, exactly. He just...he bloody confuses the piss out of me, an' I've just had a lot of hits lately. It's not that I can't handle myself, I just- -"

"Gin," George said, smiling at her as he patted the back of her hand awkwardly for a moment. "We know. A lot of bad shit has happened to you, for a very long time. You deal with your life -"

"By being abrasive, angry, violent -"

"HEY, I'm not that...well, fuckin' hell, maybe I am..." Ignoring her comment, the twins continued.

"Nearly an alcoholic, dressing like a bloody scarlet woman -"

"And picking fights with anything that looks at you funny; don't think we didn't see you punch the cash register the other day, woman!"

"Oh come off it! The stupid bloody thing jammed on me _twice_!" Again ignored, Ginny crossed her arms under her chest and huffed. Sometimes, the twins actually succeeded in making her feel her age.

"BUT, s'all right, Gin. We're you're brothers, and we aren't forgetting that anytime soon. We know that you do what you do -"

"Because it's what you need to do to be okay." Fred said with a small smile. "You're still our baby sister though, Gin. We know what most people don't. You're sweet, loyal to a fault, and always want to believe in the good, even when you probably shouldn't."

"Mum...well, she's bloody bonkers, Gin." George said, sighing as he rubbed a hand across his face. "Before all this garb with ol' _Moldy_ _Voldy_ started up again, she was getting there, which is why Charlie left when he did, and why he and Bill moved so far. For fuck's sake, she even drove Percy away!" Shaking his head at his twins words, Fred began speaking. "It wasn't only mum, though. She may be bonkers, but dad went along with everything she said like a bloody lap dog. Do you know why we never came to see you Ginny?" Fred stared at her, eyes blazing with anger. She had no idea what he was referring to. "When you were locked up in that room for _months?_ After being bloody _possessed? _after being _raped _by that fuckin' monster? Mum wouldn't even let us bring you your meals because she told us that you weren't right anymore. She didn't want for us to speak to you _at all _because she told us that you had been 'touched by darkness'." Tears were welling in Ginny's eyes now, as her brother let his words sink in. Looking between her brothers, she could bring herself to ask the question that was burning across her mind. _Why?_

"I'm sorry, Gin." George said quietly. "Were were really too young to do anything then. Each time we would try to fight her on it, she would yell and then threaten to tell dad that we had given her hell while he was at work. Then when we kept on anyway, she'd start destroying the Joke stuff. We should have fought her more tough, for you." Across from him, Fred was nodding solemnly.

"Guys..." Ginny said, wincing as her voice cracked from unsheathed tears. "In no way is our mother's insanity and cruelty either of your faults. I don;t blame anyone for what happened to me with the diary, except for myself. No," she said, holding up both hands to silence her brothers coming protests. "I knew, deep down, that something wasn't right with the diary when it wrote back. I was weak though, and ignored it. That is my burden to carry, no one else."

"I just...we love you, Gin. George and I struck out on our own to get the hell out of the Burrow, and we're just glad that we could get you out of there too."

"Thank you guys, for everything." Ginny smiled up at both of her brothers. "You know, no one has ever asked me to tell them...you know. About the Chamber and shite. It's nice to be able to come clean about everything."

Fred and George grinned at her. "We're just glad that you trust us enough to talk. We love you Ginbug, and like it or not, we're all the family that we really have right now."

"All the family that we can trust anyway," Fred muttered darkly.

Ginny stood up, stretching a bit, dreading what time the clock would read if she looked at it.

"And Ginny?" George said, as he stood as well.

"Yeah?" She asked, half turned at the start of the short hall to her room.

"The shite between you and Sirius, you and Malfoy, whatever. No matter what you choose to do -"

"We're bloody well here for ya, sis." Fred said to her, from where he still sat at the table. "So if any blokes give you too much trouble: just remember. We keep the really lethal products in the back room, behind the curtain. Feel free to test them, seeing as how most of our volunteers don't come back for a second go."

xxxX xxXxx Xxxx

A/N: Remember folks, if there are any errors...I don't have a beta. So like, don't fucking hate me, or mistake me as being illiterate or something. I may live in Appalachia, but I _am _slightly educated. Also, reviews are mightily helpful. They're like, muse food :3


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